On
by forevertruex
Summary: Reading Harry Potter, Book 1. Lily and James died on that fateful Halloween night, but what happens to them next? Read with them as they discover books on their sons life and the steps they take to protect him from beyond the grave.LE/JP, RL/NT, SB/MM
1. The beginning of the End

**The beginning of the end**

Lily Potter entered the small, cosy living room to see a beautiful sight befall her eyes. Her husband, James Potter, sat smiling with their one year old son Harry, who was giggling madly and raising his fists as if to catch the colourful smoke that his father created from his wand. It was Halloween night and the small family had been in hiding for six months now, hiding from the most evil wizard of all time, who, for some unknown reason, wanted to kill their perfect one year old son. What kind of monster would want to hurt a perfectly innocent child? When Albus Dumbledore told the Potters the news it shattered their hearts into a million pieces, at the thought of their precious son, their only son, being killed. James and Lily both knew that they would do whatever they could to save their son's life. They knew that even an incarnation of death himself would never stop them from protecting our son.

"It's Harry's bed time now Jamie" Lily told him from the doorway.

James quickly scooped up Harry and handed him to Lily with a smile, she heard him throw down his wand and yawn loudly as she walked into the small hall way of their cottage. Smiling down at her precious boy she didn't hear as a gate creaked outside of the house and the next thing she knew she heard the back door swing open and James come sprinting into the hallway without his wand. Panic set in as she held her child closer to her bosom in fear.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"

The words cut at Lily's heart and she knew that her husband was about to die... but no, she couldn't think of that, she had to protect Harry. Lily quickly started to scramble up the stairs with Harry in her arms. A cold, merciless laugh could be heard and green light flashed throughout the house.

"James!" Lily screamed scrambling into Harry's small nursery. "James!" She cried. "Please James!" She cried again and again, she couldn't lose James. Lily knew that she couldn't live without James.

Fear ripped at her heart as she held Harry in her arms trying to lodge things against the door of the nursery. Lily would not let this man hurt her child. She couldn't believe that she didn't have her wand, she couldn't believe that this was happening! Peter! Peter had betrayed them all. Their friend had brought about the deaths of her husband and her son; she cared nothing for her own life now.

The door burst open and Lily Potter stood bravely with her son in her arms looking into the terrifyingly cold face of Lord Voldemort. She quickly dropped Harry into the cot behind her and threw out her arms, trying to shield him from view.

'Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!'

She looked into his cold red eyes, her own wide trying to beg him to leave her son alone. Lily couldn't let him kill her son.

'Stand aside, stand aside you silly girl... stand aside, now...'

Did he really think that she would let him harm her son? Did he really think that any mother would stand aside and watch as their child was killed to save their own life? Who would ever think that? It had never been clearer to Lily in that moment that this man, this monster, had no concept of the power of love, had never felt love. She now understood why he could do the things he did without felling remorse. He was born cold, she thought. He had already killed her husband, the only man that she had ever loved, the only man that she had given everything to. Lily would not let him kill Harry, she would not let him kill her son. The love she felt for her son and husband filled up her whole being as she continued to beg for him to kill her instead and begging for mercy.

'Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-'

'This is my last warning-'

'Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy... Not Harry! Not Harry! Please –I'll do anything!'

Lily begged and begged for the monster not to kill her son, but he just stood, unwavering, determined to rid the world of a pure and innocent life. She would not allow it. He could kill her but she would never allow him to kill her only child.

'Stand aside – stand aside girl-'

Lily did not waver as Lord Voldemort stood in front of her raising his wand, she saw some sort of decision made in his eyes, as though he did not wish to kill her but thought it would be best.

A million different memories came back to her as the green light of the killing curse flashed before her own vivid green eyes and hit her square in the chest like a racking ball.

She was three and she and her sister, Petunia, were playing with dolls... She was ten and she was swinging on a swing in the local park, she jumped and landed gracefully on the ground to the amazement of her sister, whose eyes alight with green envy... she was eleven and aboard the Hogwarts express sitting in a compartment with two boys across from her, her eyes filled with tears and Severus came in... She was at Hogwarts and the sorting hat was on her head telling her that she should be in Gryffindor... She was running along a corridor at school laughing with Severus at her side, smiling widely as they each shot sparks of light at each other from the end of their wands for enjoyment... It was her fifth year and she was stood in front of James, anger coursing through her as he arrogantly bullied Severus who had fallen to the floor, Severus uttered the word 'mudblood' and ended their friendship forever... It was the end of her sixth year and James walked into the common rooming grinning his famous grin at her, happy light dancing in his eyes and she realised for the first time that she had been in love with him for years... It was her seventh year at Hogwarts and she was back on the Hogwarts express with her head girl badge attached to her robes, smiling proudly and James came in with the head boy badge pinned to his own chest, they smiled at each other and her heart skipped a beat... It was October and James and Lily's first date, James was spinning her around and then they stopped, anticipation mounting as he leaned in slowly, taking her face in between his hands and kissing her softly, their first kiss...flashes of their seventh year... The end of their seventh year as they are about to get onto the train together and James gets down on one knee, Lily's hands fly to her mouth as he announces his never ending love and asks her to marry him, her excitement as she screamed out a yes... the wedding day, Sirius grinning handsomely at James' side as she walked down the aisle decked out in white, holding tightly on to her father's arm... The impact of each of James and Lily's parent's deaths as they held each other and cried on separate occasions... James' excitement as he kissed her stomach and said hello to their unborn child... Holding Harry in her arms for the first time, James' arms around them both, happiness dancing in his eyes as he looked down at her and his first born son... Flashes of the first year of Harry's life, his first words, the first time he walked and his first birthday... The death of the Prewetts... The death of the Mckinnons... Friends lost to the cause... Dumbledore telling the married couple to go into hiding because _he_ wanted their child and finally... Earlier that evening, the happiness she felt as my son played with her husband, James and Harry filled up her vision before everything went black.

Lily lay face down and deafening silence surrounded her, she thought for a moment that she was alone but then she heard something large stir next to her but this thought seem utterly ridiculous, she wasn't even sure if I was there so how could something else be? Lily lay there for what felt like a long time... or no time at all and it came to her that this must be real and that she must be real. As she thought this she became aware that she had arms, legs, a body and eyes and as she realised her eyes opened to find herself lying on a hard flat surface, completely naked. She thought of this with embarrassment and wished that she were clothed. No sooner had she thought this when a white dress appeared next to her. She moved in swift motion and noticed that in shock that she had feeling. The floor that she had been lying on was neither white but neither cold nor warm, just simply there. Lily stood quickly and put on the white dress, forgetting about the presence she had felt before until she heard an appreciative cough behind her.

'Yano Lil, I preferred you without that dress on.'

Lily spun around quickly, or slowly, time had little meaning here, and her hand flew up to her mouth in shock. Before she could catch up with the movement of her actions she had flung myself forwards into the arms of her husband.

'James!' Lily screeched kissing every part of him. 'Oh James... James... I thought I had lost you.' She chocked out.

'I've told you before my beautiful flower, you will never lose me.' He whispered before catching her lips with his own.

'Wait' she said when he had finished kissing her. 'What about Harry! Where's Harry?' She demanded, James' brow furrowed slightly.

'I don't know Lil, but we'll find him.' James promised her and even though the apprehension was still there she felt a little better.

'What is this place?' Lily asked looking around.

It seemed as though they were in a large white church, here and there she could see the church pews and now again snatches of window.

'I don't know Lily. I guess this must be the afterlife, huh?' James said in a, what would be light tone.

'I thought there might have been more people here.' She muttered to James and she saw him nod slightly.

'At least we've got each other though?' He asked.

'We would have always found each other Jamie, in any dimension.' Lily told him smiling.

'That's true my love. What do you suppose we do now?'

Lily went to reply to James but as she opened her mouth she noticed a dark shape coming towards them. The figure was huge and seemed to glide, a billowing black cloak shrouded the figure and Lily wanted to scream but it seemed get lodged her throat; words completely failed her as she started at the figure with wide-eyed incredulity. James grabbed her hand and squeezed it slightly, he too was looking at the figure in alarm.

'Peace friends.' The black cloak told the two of them as it stopped about ten metres away. 'I am here to take you into the next life but first you have a choice. You can choose to move on, as most pick or you could be one of the select few that choose to be a ghost and walk the world for the rest of time.'

James and Lily didn't even have to look at each other to know what their decision would be.

'On' she told him simply, though she had to ask a question that had not ceased to burn in her mind since she got there. 'But where is Harry? Where is our son?' she asked.

'Your son survived.' The figure said simply.

'He... What?' Lily gasped. 'How... how did he survive?' She was completely thrown and apparently so was James.

'It will all be explained if you continue on Mr and Mrs Potter.' The cloak told them in whispery voice before disappearing into a white light.

Lily's eyes were blinded by the light so she closed them and when she opened them again she realised that they had moved from the white room and now seemed to be sat in a huge field. She turned to James with wide eyes and he looked at her and smiled.

'It's going to be ok.' He whispered, putting his arms around his wife. 'I'm so sorry I couldn't save you Lily, I'm so sorry that we had to leave our son.' She could see the tears in his eyes and the pain as well.

'It's ok Jamie. It's not your fault, there is only one person to blame for this and it is not you.' He smiled at her lightly and let her go, but not completely for he claimed her hand again and gasped as he looked around.

'Mum... dad...' he chocked out and Lily turned to see what he was looking at. In the large field, underneath a small beech tree stood four people, the couples deceased parents. Lily smiled widely and tears filled her eyes. James and Lily looked at each other and then quickly ran to where their parents were standing and engulfed them into their arms.

'I've missed you.' She murmured to her parents who were tightly embracing her.

'We've missed you too Lily-bean.' Her father whispered, tightening his arms around her. 'We are so proud of you.' He told her with tears in his eyes. Lily let both of her parents go and turned to Mr and Mrs Potter, engulfing them in a hug as well.

'I can't believe this.' She said to them quietly. 'This is wonderful.' She told them honestly.

Although she was worried about what had happened to Harry, she felt a strange happiness to be away from the mortal world and back with her parents. Lily knew undoubtedly that she would miss her son, ache for him even but she was happy that he was alive and she wanted him to have a good life, even though James and she could not share it with him. She hoped that her son would know that they would always be with him, always watching and protecting him and they would see him again one day, she was sure of that.

Just as this thought came into her mind seven books appeared under the beech tree that the family converged next to.

'What are these?' She asked, none of the family had an answer. She started forward and picked up the first and thinnest book, she read the title and gasped, dropping it on to the floor.

'Lil, what is it?' James asked, starting forward and picking up the book for himself. He gasped also and turned around to face their parents before saying.

'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.' They all stared back at him with shocked expressions.

'What do you think it means Jamie?' Lily whispered to my husband, who still stood in shock.

'I don't know Lil, maybe they're books of Harry's life?'

Lily gasped. 'We can know about his life!' she exclaimed excitedly.

Their parents were also excited.

'This is excellent.' Dorea Potter shouted excitedly. 'We only get so see so much from here, it will be fantastic to hear about our grandson.'

'I agree with Dorea.' Rose Evans said grinning at her daughter and son-in-law whose faces were alight with happiness at being able to hear about their son.

'Same!' both Charlus Potter and Michael Evans exclaimed together, before grinning at eachother wickedly.

'Ok, let's do this!' James said in excitement.

We all sat underneath the beech tree and James opened to the first page of the book and started to read.

* * *

**This is the first chapter for my new story 'ON', it'll be a 'reading the books' fic, done a little differently. I decided to start from the last moments of Lily and James to add a little more depth and emotion, and I thought it would give a good insight to what I think would be happening inside Lily's head as old Voldy comes to kill her family. **

**The fic starts off with just James, Lily, Charlus, Dorea, Rose and Micheal (I gave the parents name, i'm not sure if they're actually right but hey, I think they work!) but they are joined in the second chapter my a few deceased members of the Order. As the book reading progresses they will also be joined by the main characters that are killed in the books so that could get quite emotional. I'm still going to be working on my other fic, Wishing upon a dog star, so updates may sometimes seem a little slow, especially since my exams are coming up and i've just got a new job but have no fear, I will update eventually!**

**Please, please, review if you love it/hate it, I love feedback whether it is good or not and I hope you like my take on the reading of the books. **

**Enjoy my loves! **

**Forevertruex **


	2. The Boy Who Lived

'**CHAPTER ONE - THE BOY WHO LIVED'**

'Chapter one, the boy who lived' James read in a shocked voice.

Lily felt herself gasp along with the four parents and James.

'The boy who lived?' She asked. 'Is that what they are going to call him?'

'Looks like it Lily-bean' Michael told his daughter.

**Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, - **

'Eurgh, please tell me that is Petunia and the whale!' Lily exclaimed loudly.

'Lily!' Rose Evams reprimanded.

She grinned in apology and motioned for James to keep reading.

**- were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

'Because that is _so _something you want to be proud of.' Lily muttered and received another glare from my mother.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

'Thats because they're boring! Please tell me this has a point...' Lily moaned to the amusement of James and her parents.

**Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

'Ah! A fine past time!' Michael exclaimed sardonically.

'What's a drill?' asked Charlus curiously.

'Well you see.. It's a muggle tool used to...'

'Not enough time dad!' Lily said cheekily and Michael and Mr Potter grinned at her a little guiltily.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, **

'Hah!' Lily laughed.

'I never did see what Petunia saw in that man.' Rose muttered to Dorea who smirked at her.

**- although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours.**

'That is so like Petunia.' Rose and Lily said together before dissolving into giggles.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

'We've been watching them as well as you Lily-bean and that boy is a terror! He is so spoilt.' Michael said to his daughter.

'I can see that being the case.' She muttered to my father, whilst James grinned and carried on reading.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

'Hey!' James and his parents exclaimed together angrily.

M**rs Potter was Mrs Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.**

'And rightly so!' James muttered mutinously. 'There is nothing wrong with my Lily!'

Lily smiled at him slightly, but it still didn't stop the hurt that she felt when she thought of her sister. What would she think now that she had died? Would she be happy that she now has no chance of affiliation with Lily? Even as she thought that she got a sense of foreboding, what was going to happen to my son? He wasn't going to be left with Petunia was he?

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

'There is nothing wrong with our son (grandson)' everyone yelled at the book and James held his hand up as a peace motion.

'Hey, it's not my fault what they think!'

**When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.**

'I wonder what that could be...' Lily mused.

**Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

'Oh Petunia.' Rose Evans whimpered at her daughter's expense.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

'In the middle of the day?' Dorea asked shocked. 'What the hell is going on?'

'Dorea, don't curse' Charlus muttered with a sly grin, for she was the one usually accosting him for cursing.

**At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house.**

'Little tyke?' Micheal said loudly. 'That man really has no idea how to rear a child!'

**He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.**

James and Lily looked at each other with a knowing and worried look, whilst their parents just frowned in confusion.

**For a second, Mr Dursley didn't realize what he had seen** **then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.**

Lily giggled thinking that she knew who that could be.

**As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.**

'That's what you think.' Charlus laughed and Michael and Rose raised their eyebrows at each other in wonder, they were still not used to all the strange wizard had to say.

**Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else.**

'WHAT?' Everyone exclaimed, apart from James who looked slightly annoyed. Lily winked at him coyly.

**As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

'Something big must have happened' Dorea said looking at James and Lily with concern she knew this couldn't just be about their deaths, however popular they were in the wizarding community.

**Mr Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes** - **the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!**

**But then it struck Mr Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time.**

'Really does the Statue of Secrecy mean nothing today?' Charlus asked annoyed.

**Mr Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

'Awful man' Dorea muttered and Rose frowned thinking about how she had allowed her eldest daughter to marry this man.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed.**

'What has it got to do with him?' Lily asked, annoyed.

**He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry."**

'What happened to Harry?' Lily whispered fearfully, she really hoped that her son was alright. James moved closer to Lily and put an arm around her before reading, worry now evident in his voice.

**Mr Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking...** **no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

'It is in the wizarding world.' Charlus told Lily's parents. 'There is only one Potter line.'

They nodded and smiled in return, thankful to more insight to the world their daughter grew up in.

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry.**

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

'What?'

**There was no point in worrying Mrs Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that... but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

'There is nothing wrong with my wife Dursley!' James thundered and Lily smiled at him appreciatively.

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

**"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passers-by stare,**

**"Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

'Do you suppose that is Flitwick?' James asked with a grin.

**And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off. Mr Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger.**

**He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

'What?' Everyone exclaimed again.

'How the hell can you not approve of imagination?' Lily asked incredulously.

'That is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard!' Dorea said with earnest.

'How did we ever allow Petunia to marry that man?' Rose asked her husband who shrugged angrily, clearly he was regretting that decision also.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

**"Shoo!" said Mr Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

Lily and James laughed lightly whilst their parents still looked a little confused.

**Was this normal cat behaviour? Mr Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").**

'Typical.' Lily muttered.

**Mr Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman,"I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

'This is bad.' James muttered.

**Mr Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

'He's piecing it together' Lily said in mystical tone.

**Mrs Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

**As he had expected, Mrs Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

'Bitch.' Lily muttered.

'Lily!' Rose exclaimed shocked.

'Well I'm sorry mum, but I don't pretend I don't have a sister and I don't like her either!' Lily said in contempt.

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know... her crowd."**

**Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

'Bitch.' Lily muttered again. 'There is nothing wrong with my son's name!'

Nobody reprimanded her this time, the parents clearly thought the name was fine too.

'Better than Dudley.' Charlus muttered under his breath, much to the amusement of his wife.

**"Oh, yes," said Mr Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. Was he imagining things?**

'I thought he didn't approve of imagination? How could he imagine something?' Lily asked angrily.

'It's fascinating how muggles will go to any length to not believe in our world!' Charlus laughed.

**Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

'Yes well, we don't want anyone to know that we are related to you either Vernon.' James said angrily. Lily nodded along with him.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley.**

**The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them...**

'Oh god no.' Lily said, tears forming in her eyes.

'What is it bean?' her father asked comfortingly.

'Harry is going to live there.'

A ringing silence followed her words.

'No.' James said angrily. 'No I will not allow it!'

'We can't do anything James.' Lily wailed as her mother and father tried to comfort her, anger in their eyes also. 'This isn't fair, my poor baby.

**How very wrong he was.**

'No.' James muttered again, though this time in defeat.

**Mr Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

'It's got to be her.' Lily said, still teary-eyed. No one asked what she meant, all too nervous as to what was about to happen.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

'That has to be Dumbledore.' James said.

'Your school headmaster?' Rose asked shocked. 'Why would he be there?' Nobody had an answer to her question.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

'Woo, Dumbledore!' James said excitedly causing Lily and the parents to laugh.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.**

Everyone laughed.

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

'Did he just speak to a cat?' Michael asked shocked.

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

'Cool!' Charlus exclaimed, much to the amusement of his wife who shook her head.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement.**

**Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

'What?' the four parents exclaimed, making James and Lily laugh.

'The cat is a person?' Rose asked.

'I forgot Minerva McGonagall was an animagus!' Dorea said.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

James and Lily especially laughed at that.

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

Everyone frowned again, something good has happened. But what?

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news."**

'She has a point.' Dorea said.

**She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

James laughed at this, Dedalus was a good friend of his in the Order.

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

'Eleven years?' Rose asked. 'Why?'

'Voldemort.' The four wizards answered simply.

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

'What?' Lily whispered looking at James with wide eyes.

'How is that possible?' he said back, they had just been murdered by him, he tried to kill their son!

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

**"A what?"**

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

'Same old Dumbledore.' Charlus laughed.

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort."**

Nobody shivered at the use of the name.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."**

**"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort** **had powers I will never have."**

'Only because you are too noble to use them.' Lily said with a smile.

James laughed at her.

'What?' she asked

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

'Oh.' Was all Lily said, ducking her head in embarrassment as the parents and James laughed.

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

'Too much information their Albus.' Dorea said in amusement and her husband laughed along with her.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

'What?' everyone asked.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort** **turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "**

James and Lily's parents both sniffed at this miserably, upset that their children had to die so early in life.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."**

Lily's eyes filled with tears as she thought of her favourite Hogwarts professor.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But – he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's** **power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."**

'What!' Lily shrieked. 'He couldn't kill harry? That's why he is alive? But how?'

Nobody seemed to be able to give Lily an answer, all to shocked by the news.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

'I'd like to know that' James said, although it was fantastic news he still could not believe it.

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

'He knows.' Lily said, with so much anger that no one dared to say anything to oppose that.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.**

**It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

'Because he has finally lost his marbles.' James said, clearly annoyed with the headmaster.

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

Lily cringed at this, her fear confirmed. She shook her head angrily.

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

'You tell him Minerva! I don't want my grandson around those people!' Dorea said angrily.

Although the Evans' loved their daughter and their grandson, they did not want Harry living them, who knew what damage they could do to their other grandson. This wasn't fair to Harry.

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

'A letter? A fucking letter?' Lily screamed and no one chose to reprimand her, angry that Dumbledore thought this could be explained in a letter.

**"A letter?"repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"**

'He is best out of that world, but not with them!' James said beside himself with anger.

'I would prefer he lived in an orphanage!' Lily exclaimed.

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

'He has a point but anyone would be willing to take him in and nurture him properly! Nothing good will come of him living with Petunia and her family.' Rose said weakly, worried for the wellbeing on her second grandson.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky – and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

'That Sirius' bike. I thought Hagrid was bringing Harry?' James said with confusion.

Lily shrugged, but a sinking feeling was beginning to settle in her stomach. Where was Sirius? She thought. He wouldn't leave Harry to this fate... unless...

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it.**

**He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.**

'So Hagrid did bring him... where is Sirius? Where is Remus?' James asked, clearly upset, Lily noticed that he conveniently missed out Pettigrew (traitor). She could see the cogs whirring in his head.

**In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

'No.' James said, utter devastation evident in his voice again. 'No.'

Lily hugged her husband. She knew they were thinking the same thing. 'It's ok Jamie.'

'What is it?' Michael asked.

'He's going to go after Peter.' Lily whispered, her eyes burning with tears. Nothing good could come of this.

Dawning realisation settled on all of the parent's faces, they had known that Peter was the traitor and they had known how close Sirius was to Lily and James.

This can't be good, they all thought as a whole.

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

'At least he's ok, poor fawn.' Lily mumbled with tears in her eyes again, her heart breaking at the thought of her baby having to live without her.

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

'What?' Lily asked weakly. James stared into her eyes, disgust and anger in his own.

'That is where that bastard tried to kill Harry isn't it?' Dorea asked in disgust.

James and Lily nodded, their hearts breaking at the thought of how close their son came to dying along with them.

**"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.**

'He'll have a scar that everyone will stare at. Poor lamb.' Rose muttered, hurting for her children at the loss of their ability to care for their son now.

**Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

'Oh Hagrid.' Lily whispered.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door.**

**He laid Harry gently on the doorstep,** **took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

'He... he' Lily seemed unable to form words.

'HE LEFT MY SON ON A DOOR STEP!' James thundered, making everyone jump.

'How dare he?' Lily shrieked, oh what she wouldn't give to get her hands on Dumbledore at this present moment.

'I can't believe he would leave a poor defenceless child on a doorstep!' Dorea said, in shock.

'Idiotic man.' Michael said.

'My grandson... doorstep... it's cold!' Rose seemed beyond words.

'Wait till you get here Dumbledore!' Dorea rued.

Charlus shook his head in anger and tried to sooth his furious wife in a low voice, he couldn't believe that someone would just leave a child on a doorstep either.

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back.** **G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir." Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. **

**Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

'The step... the fucking step!' Lily seethed.

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. **

Lily and James smiled at the thought of their precious son asleep, albeit on a door step.

**One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles,** **nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!"**

'So Harry is the boy who lived then?' James asked.

'Im going to kill Dumbledore' Lily seethed.

'This is awful' The parents muttered.

Before any of them could start a comprehensive discussion of the first chapter of the book containing Harry's life, they heard voices in the field and turned around to see a number of people beaming and walking towards them.


	3. The Vanishing Glass

**CHAPTER TWO - THE VANISHING GLASS**

Lily gasped as she saw the people that were walking towards them. She and James quickly jumped to their feet and ran meet them. The first person that Lily reached was her best friend, Marlene Mckinnon, Lily had been distraught when Marlene and her family were murdered, it had been only four months ago, but when she died it felt like Lily had to live through an age without her. They embraced each other like sisters, tears streaming down each of their faces as they took in the sight of one another.

'Oh my Lily.' Marlene said, hugging her best friend tightly again. 'I am so sorry that this had to happen.'

'Marlene...' Lily whimpered, her heart swelling as she smelt her friends sweet scent. 'I'm so happy to see you.'

The two young women laughed and turned to see who else was present in the group, Lily's heart filled again as she saw the two ginger twin brothers she had grown so fond of in the Order, Fabian and Gideon Prewett and ran forwards to embrace them.

'Hey red.' They said at the same time, grinning at Lily.

'Long time-' Gideon started

'- no see.' Fabian finished.

James came and wrapped his arms around Marlene, his wife's best friend and his own best friend's previous girlfriend, holding her tightly to him. He too loved Marlene too, as much as Lily and was devastated when she died, when she died it was one of the worst days of his life as he had to hold his wife in her devastated grief. It was hard to get hold of Sirius as he avoided coming around for a while. He and Marlene had loved each other dearly for years and had only just got together when they were ripped apart again.

'Hello little one.' He murmured in her hair and she mocked punched him on the arm.

'Hey Jamie!' she smiled.

The five friends all stood beaming at each other, happy to be reunited, but sort of upset that they had to be in this manner.

Charlus, Dorea, Rose and Michael watched from the sidelines smiling slightly as their children embraced the friends that they had fought alongside of for so long, they were pleased to see some more happiness befall James and Lily considering what they had just read about the fate of their only son.

'Lily, James..' Rose called, disturbing the animatedly chatting group of young people. 'Do you want your friends to read with us, god knows we've got time.'

Everyone burst out laughing.

'What are we reading?' Marlene asked in interest.

'Harry's life story.' Lily told her friend, with tears in her eyes again at the thought of her son without her in the mortal world.

'Awwh, my godson.' Marlene sighed longingly, whilst James and the two Prewett twins walked by our side back to our parents. 'You know I watched you sometimes Lil and he is going to be a blinder when he's older. He is such handsome little fella!' She grinned at Lily who couldn't find it in her to smile back.

'I hope so Marly.' She said and Marlene frowned.

'Petal, it'll be fine, he's as strong as you and James.'

'I know, its just... Dumbledore has left him with the Dursley's!' Marlene looked aghast and Fabian and Gideon turned to look at me.

'Who're-' Fabian started.

'-the Dursley's?' Gideon finished.

'Extended family.' James muttered. 'Lily's sister and her husband, they're the worst kind of muggles imaginable.'

Fabian, Gideon and Marlene looked upset for their friends son but said no more as they all sat down in a circle underneath the beech tree.

'Where is Sirius?' Marlene asked fearfully. She knew he couldn't be dead, even in death she would feel and know if he was.

'We don't know.' James whispered and an understanding passed between the two of them. Sirius had gone after Peter.

'I want to read next.' Lily said and nobody argued with her.

'**Chapter Two –The Vanishing Glass.'**

'I sense accidental magic Lil.' James winked at her and everyone laughed.

**Nearly ten years had passed-**

'What ten years?' James groaned.

'What's up Jamie?' Marlene asked.

'We don't get to know about Harry's first ten years.' Dorea answered for her son, who looked thoroughly downcast.

'That sucks.' Fabian said, he wanted to know about little Harry's first years as much as his parents and grandparents, they had met him once or twice and they thought the kid was marvellous, a marauder in the making, even at the age of one he was defiantly going to live up to his father's name.

**- since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens** **and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls.**

**Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed.**

'I wonder if they have any pictures of Harry?' Rose mused quietly, she had a bad feeling about this.

**Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bonnets **

The younger generation burst out laughing at this whilst the Potters and the Evans' merely pursed their lips, as though amused, but trying not to laugh at the misfortune of that poor child.

**-but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game** **with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

'What?' Lily said to herself in a deathly quiet voice.

'Where is my son?' James asked in confusion.

'Where is Harry?' Marlene, Dorea and Rose asked at the same time.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

'Just what the poor child wants to here.' Gideon grinned and Lily frowned at him, she really didn't like this.

**"Up! Get up! Now!"**

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan **

'It sounds like he sleeps down stairs.' Michael said, confusion evident in his tone.

'Why though?' Rose asked. 'That house has four bedrooms.

The eyes of everyone listening to his exchange narrowed. What was going on?

**-being put on the stove.**

**He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it.**

'Cool!' Gideon burst out.

'He remembers?' James said in shock.

'What do you mean mate?' Fabian asked in interest.

'When we... when we died, Hagrid took Sirius' flying motorbike from him and flew with Harry to the Dursleys.' He, Marlene and Lily shared another knowing look at that, worried about what Sirius did next. He wouldn't usually give up the motorbike willingly, he loved it.

'Woah, he can remember that far back?' Marlene asked.

'Well it was a traumatic night for him, I expect, so he is remembering it subconsciously.' Dorea said smartly.

**He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. His aunt was back outside the door.**

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

**"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

'Duddy?' Gideon asked.

'Duddy!' Fabian exclaimed.

Everyone burst into fits of laughter at the use of the nickname for the poor boy.

**Harry groaned.**

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

**"Nothing, nothing..."**

**Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten?**

'What is that supposed to mean?' Lily and James said at the same time, their eyes flashing dangerously.

**Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider** **off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

'He... he...' James started.

'Under the stairs?' Dorea and Rose mouthed, their faces drawn in shock.

'UNDER THE STAIRS?' Lily and Marlene roared.

'Holy shit!' Gideon and Fabian said together.

'The fucking stairs... the fucking stairs... my son sleeps under the fucking stairs!' James fumed, again and again.

The two fathers sat looking at each other in equal anger.

'What the hell did you raise?' Charlus asked Michael in disgust. 'How can your daughter possibly justify putting my grandson to sleep under the staircase?'

Michael had no answer for Charlus as he looked around at the shocked and angry faces of everyone present.

'That bitch.' Lily muttered. 'That fucking bitch. I will kill her. My son... my son...' she cried.

James got up to comfort his wife, he couldn't believe that they had died and their son now had to sleep under the stairs of a house he probably hated, his son, his innocent, lovely, pure son.

'Shh Lil... it'll be ok, it will I promise.'

Lily nodded and wiped her eyes, anger and heartbreak were still present in her tone as she continued to read.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

'So Petunia has raised a bully?' Rose whispered. 'Where did we go wrong with her Mike?' she asked her bewildered and angry husband who merely shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

**Dudley's favourite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

'That fat little git better leave my son alone.' James muttered.

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

'No, he's just like you James.' Dorea said, smiling lightly at her son. 'You were so skinny and short up until your sixth year.

Lily laughed and nodded along with Marlene, 'Yeah, you were a right scrawny git Jamie.' They told him.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.**

'He has to wear the fat kid's clothes?' Gideon asked annoyed.

'This is no way to treat a child!' Fabian agreed.

**Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

'He's perfect.' Lily whispered.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

Lily, James and their parents shivered at the mention of the scar whilst Fabian, Gideon and Marlene looked confused.

'It's where Voldemort... yano...' comprehension dawned on their faces and they didn't question it.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions."**

'That is not how they died!' Marlene said aghast.

'How could she lie to him about his parents?' Charlus said, getting more and more annoyed with this dreadful couple.

'Don't ask questions?' Dorea said angrily. 'How is a child meant to learn? These people are dreadful!'

Everyone nodded and murmured their agreement, even Rose and Michael who couldn't believe the actions of their eldest daughter and her husband.

**Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.**

'That is true kiddo!' James said with a wide smile, whilst his mother and Lily sighed in exasperation.

'I knew he had your hair.' Lily muttered, making Marlene, who was sitting closest to her, laugh loudly.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head.**

'Eurgh that's –'

'-disgusting' Fabian and Gideon said.

'Poor child.' Dorea and Rose murmured.

**Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

'Hah! He still regained a sense of humour!' James said triumphantly, whilst the Prewett brothers roared with laughed.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

'Oh my god, he's spoilt!' Rose said, sighing heavily.

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."**

**"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

**Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

'Turned the table over?' Michael said in disgust. 'What has she done to this boy!'

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin?** **Two more presents. Is that all right.''**

'She is just encouraging this behaviour.' Dorea said annoyed. 'We spoilt James, but we had ground rules!'

Lily and Marlene laughed at this, remembering how much of spoilt brat James came across as in their first year but didn't say anything, they knew he wasn't as bad as this kid.

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty ... thirty..."**

'He can't even count!' Fabian laughed loudly.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

'Tosser' James muttered angrily. How could he possibly condone this behaviour?

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

'Arabella Figg?' Dorea asked interestedly.

'Who's that Ma'?' James asked.

'She's a squib as far as I can remember, I wonder if she got stationed by Harry on purpose?'

Nobody had a different answer than a slight shrug of the shoulder so Lily continued to read.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away.**

**Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

'That's got to be her. She loves cats.' Dorea muttered.

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr Paws, and Tufty again.**

James and the Prewett's laughed at this.

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

'Eurgh.' Lily said in frustration, how could her sister treat her son like this?

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. "And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

'Why would the house be in ruins girl?' Charlus asked angrily, he was starting to get annoyed by Lily's sister's behaviour.

**"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave him in the car..."**

'HE IS NOT A DOG! YOU CANNOT LEAVE MY SON IN A BLOODY CAR PETUNIA!' Lily yelled loudly, much to the surprise of everyone else, who were equally as angry because of this disgusting suggestion.

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone..."**

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had been years since he'd really cried - but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

**"Dinky Duddydums,**

'OH MY GOD!' James exclaimed, rolling around the floor with laughter.

'Dinky-'

'-Duddydums?'

Both Fabian and Gideon chocked out with laughter, leading to them become as hysterical as James on the floor. Lily, sighing in amusement at their reaction continued to read.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

**"I... don't... want... him... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp- spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

'I highly doubt that.' Rose said, annoyed at her grandsons behaviour.

**Just then, the doorbell rang - "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.**

'My poor boy.' Lily said in a chocked voice as James, who had recovered from his laughter, placed an arm around her and held her tightly.

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

'And you'll be a dead man – even if I have to come back from the dead to do it.' Marlene muttered, how dare he treat her godson this way?

**"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "Honestly..." But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

'Why?' Michael asked.

'If you let me continue dad..' Lily said slyly to her father.

'Right you are Lil..' he said sheepishly.

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar."**

'Bitch!' James said angrily, how could she do that? Did she not care about Harry at all? He could get bullied for that!

D**udley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.**

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

'You're a wizard Harry.' Fabian and Gideon said together, in a falsely mystical voice before cracking up with laughter.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls)**

'Why would she even do that to him, poor fawn.' Dorea muttered sadly.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

'She is so dead when she gets up here.' Lily muttered, and nobody decided to correct the fact that she would technically be dead, yes, because of the dangerously angry look in Lily's eyes.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

'Woah, did he apparate?' James asked.

'It's possible son.' Charlus told James.

'He might have flown.' Lily said shrugging, ignoring the incredulous looks of the rest of them, she had flown when she was a child!

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid- jump.**

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong.**

'Tempting fate.' Michael muttered.

**It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.**

**"... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

**"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

'Bad idea mate.' Gideon said whilst Fabian shook his head.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a moustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

**"I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

'Dangerous ideas?' Marlene hissed. 'From a dream? What the hell is wrong with these people!'

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

All the men in the field laughed at that loudly, Harry sure took after James.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first. Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

'You can't just make it move!' Rose said angrily, she wished she were alive now more than any other time, that boy needed a firm hand!

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

**"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself – no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

**It winked.**

'Snakes can't wink!' Lily scoffed.

'Maybe it just looked like it did?' Marlene said, she was confused as to what was happening.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

'He's winking at the snake?' James asked in a shaky voice, what was going on?

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "I get that all the time."**

**"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

'He's talking to the snake.' Marlene stated in shock.

'But he's a wizard, surely that isn't unusual?' Michael asked.

'Its not a very common gift and is mostly associated with evil wizards.' Lily said in a clearly unnerved voice. 'He can't be a parsletounge, it is passed down through the family and no one in your family can speak it can they?' she asked, directing the question to the Potter's who shook their heads looking worried.

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

**"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump.**

**"DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could. "Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.**

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

'He made the glass – ' Gideon stopped in awe.

'- disappear.' Fabian finished in a choked voice.

'Awesome!' James said, this was brilliant.

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished**.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."**

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. "But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

'Little git.' James said, now he's got my son in trouble he thought angrily.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

'They didn't feed him?' Rose said scandalised. 'This is taking it too far, they cannot starve him! Animals!' she screamed, much to the shock of everyone there.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.**

'Oh gosh..' Lily whimpered into James arm.

'He remembers...' James said, tears in his eyes.

Everyone look slightly sick at this, feeling sorry for Harry.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

'He doesn't even know what you look like.' Marlene stated angrily, her eyes filling with tears. This is so wrong, she thought.

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family.**

'No they aren't baby.' Lily whispered. 'We're your family. We will always be here.' Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement with her words.

**Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

'Wizards recognise him on the street?' Rose asked shocked.

'Well he must be really famous then.' Michael said, also shocked.

'You have no idea, if Voldemort has gone then there really won't be a child in our world that doesn't know his name. He's saved everyone.' Marlene said in awe.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

'That's the end of the chapter' Lily whimpered, turning to James and dissolving into tears in his arms.

'I'll read next.' Dorea said, in a calm and peaceful voice.


	4. The Letters From No one

**CHAPTER THREE - THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE**

'I think this chapter might cheer you up guys.' Dorea said in her calm voice. 'Chapter three- the letters from no one.'

Everyone perked up immediately.

'Hogwarts!' James, Gideon and Fabian all said at the same time, with massive grins on their face.

'This means he is getting out of there.' Lily said to Marlene in relief and she nodded.

Lily's parents merely seemed excited, that meant that Harry would be going to Hogwarts soon! They had always wondered what Lily's school was like.

'Read out then Dorea love.' Said Charlus with an excite grin.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment.**

Everyone either frowned slightly or looked angry at this. These people clearly were monsters, it wasn't Harry's fault!

**By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

'That boy.' Rose muttered, glaring at the book in disgust.

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

'Brilliant!' James said rolling his eyes. He really disliked his nephew.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favourite sport: Harry Hunting.**

'What?' Lily said livid.

'My boy gets bullied more?' James was angry as well. He couldn't believe he had died to protect his son only to hear that he was getting treated as a punch bag. If the Dursley's ended up in this place then they were having some serious words.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley.**

'I bet he is so pleased with that.' Marlene murmured.

'He might actually get to make some friends.' Charlus said sadly, upset at the fate of his grandson.

**Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school.**

'That is better than being a school with the fat pig –' Gideon started.

' -But Hogwarts is way better!' Fabian finished, leading to a round of laughter.

**Dudley thought this was very funny.**

'Dudley hasn't got a sense of humour then.' James muttered.

**"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

**"No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilets never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

'Good one Harry!' Gideon chortled as everyone laughed. 'It seems like he defiantly lives up to the Marauder title.'

'I don't know Gid. Lily can be quite cheeky as well.' Fabian said.

'Ahh, both valid points, we'll just have to wait and see who he is more like.' Marlene said laughing along with the twins.

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs Figg's. Mrs Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters.**

'I bet he looks a right prat' this surprisingly came from Michael, causing everyone to laugh.

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

'How is that good training?' Dorea and Rose said disgusted.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

'I love this kid.' Gideon and Fabian said together, laughing at Harry's antics.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.**

**"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.**

**"Your new school uniform," she said.**

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

**"Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

Everyone creased up again.

'Sarcasm doesn't work on Petunia, fawn, she's immune to it.' Lily said between breaths.

**"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

'I can really see that.' Lily muttered venomously. 'Sometimes I wonder what the hell is wrong with her.'

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue.**

**He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High - like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

**"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

**"Make Harry get it."**

**"Get the mail, Harry."**

'He knows his name?' Gideon asked shocked.

'I thought he was called 'boy'? Fabian said.

Both the twins started to laugh again.

**"Make Dudley get it."**

**"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."**

'Don't you dare.' Lily said angrily.

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for Harry.**

'Hogwarts!' Everyone exclaimed happily.

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would?**

**He had no friends, no other relatives - he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

_**Mr H. Potter  
The Cupboard under the Stairs  
4 Privet Drive  
Little Whinging  
Surrey**_

Lily and James both pursed their lips at the reminder of their sons living conditions, they could believe the dark world that they had been forced to leave their precious son in.

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.**

**"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

'Funny.' Michael muttered shaking his head.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

**"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk -."**

**"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

'No!' Lily shouted. Would her son's life ever get any easier?

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

'He should have opened it somewhere else.' James said, shaking his head in anger again.

**"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

'That's not going to work' Marlene muttered.

**"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge.**

**"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

**"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"**

'Yes! You better be scared!' Fabian said, high fiving his brother.

Dorea and Charlus both smirked at each other, happy at the Dursleys discomfort.

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.**

**"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

**"I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."**

'Not going to work fawn.' Dorea muttered.

**"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

**"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**

'He sure has your temper Lil' Michael said to his daughter. She turned to glare at him and he burst into fits of laughter.

**"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.**

**"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

**"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "Look at the address - how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

**"Watching - spying - might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

'Yes because that is what we wizards do!' Charlus said, rolling his eyes at the man's behaviour.

**"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want -"**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

**"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... Yes, that's best... we won't do anything..."**

'That won't work' Marlene said with a wicked grin on her face.

**"But -"**

**"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

'You can't stamp out magic!' James said indigently.

'How dare they do this to my son?' Lily seethed.

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

**"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

**"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."**

'How dare you!' Rose muttered. 'That is illegal in any world.'

**"It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

**"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

**"Er - yes, Harry - about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... you're really getting a bit big for it... we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."**

'He... he... what?' James asked completely lost for wods.

'Harry has to sleep in a cupboard and that git had two bedrooms?' Lily said, quite beside herself.

'I'm so sorry Lil.' Her mother whispered and Lily looked up in shock, her mother knew that they had more rooms.

'Petunia is no longer my sister.' I told her evenly and wasn't shocked to see that there was hurt in her eyes when I said this.

'Nor is she my daughter.' Michael said. 'What the girl has done is beyond wrong, to treat someone who is family with such a blatant lack of respect is disgusting. I won't have it Rosie.' He said to his wife, who nodded slightly, tears in her eyes and motioned for Dorea to continue reading.

**"Why?" said Harry.**

'Why are you questioning it Harry?' Charlus muttered.

**"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms:** **one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room.**

**He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbour's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite program had been cancelled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't want him in there... I need that room... make him get out..."**

'Little –' Fabian started.

'- git' Gideon finished.

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.**

**Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

**When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive -'"**

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.**

'It's backfiring on you now, huh Dursley?' James said with contempt.

**"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley - go - just go."**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

'Oh dear.' Lily said, laughing lightly.

'What is it dear?' her mother asked.

'If his plans go as well as his father's then this won't work.' She said laughing again at the hurt expression on James' face as everyone joined in.

'Hey, I resent that!' he exclaimed.

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

'That's not a bad plan.' James defended.

'We'll see.' Lily said smugly.

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.**

**His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door –**

"**AAAARRRGH!"**

**Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something alive!**

'Dursley thought of it too.' Gideon said, shaking his head.

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face.**

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap.**

**Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink. "I want -" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes. Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

**"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."**

**"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."**

**"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.**

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.**

'Looks like we're getting creative!' Lily said giggling with Marlene.

**"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy. "No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today -"**

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one.**

'It would have been easier to get one off the floor Harry.' Lily muttered.

**"Out! OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

**"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time. I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

**He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway.**

**Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.**

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. "Shake 'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.**

'I think we've drove him mad.' Charlus laughed.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

'Oh your poor deprived child.' Marlene seethed.

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering...**

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

**"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk." She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

**Mr H. Potter  
Room 17  
Railview Hotel  
Cokeworth**

'Cokeworth?' Lily, Rose and Michael said in shock.

'What is it?' asked Marlene.

'That's where we lived.' Lily said.

'When the girls were children.' Michael muttered.

'I never thought I'd see Petunia go back there.' Rose laughed.

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

**"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

**"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

**"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.**

'Wow, even Dinky Duddydums realises.' Gideon said shocked, making everyone burst out with laughter at the use of the nickname.

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley snivelled.**

**"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television. "**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday - and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television - then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. **

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' Everyone chorused, though Lily and James a little sadly, thinking of all the birthdays they would miss.

**-Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun - last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

'Gits.' James murmured.

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

**"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

**"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.**

**"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"**

'Is he actually serious?' Marlene said in disgust.

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shrivelled up.**

**"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.**

'Git.' James and the Prewett boys muttered.

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

'What the hell is wrong with those people.' Dorea said in outrage. 'How dare the treat my grandson this way. He is not a dog, or a pest, he is a human being! What I wouldn't give...'

'It's ok Dorea, it's ok.' Charlus whispered to his wife.

She looked into his eyes and seemed to calm down, she took a deep, calming breath and continued to read.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

'I get the feeling that something magical is about to happen.' Lily muttered apprehensively and everyone nodded, feeling the same thing.

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

The tension was mounting quickly and Lily and James held onto each other, wondering what was about to happen to their precious son.

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds... twenty ... ten... nine - maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him**

'Do it!' the Prewett's yelled making everyone jump.

**- three... two... one...**

**BOOM.**

'What?' Lily screeched.

'Shh Lil, it'll be alright. James murmured.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

'Oh no. Oh no.' Lily fretted.

'Calm down Lil.' Marlene said to her friend.

'The chapter is done.' Dorea told them.

'I'll go next.' Charlus said quickly taking the book from his wife so the he could try to ease some of the worries of his daughter-in-law.

* * *

**Hello guys. Letting you know that this is my last update for today but I have to say that I think that four in the last few hours since I uploaded this story is pretty good because I have only just started it today. I am really pleased with the amount of people that have added it to their favorites or alert list alright and want to say a massive thank you for that and also a thank you for my first reviewer, it really makes me happy when people review my stories. **

**I'm hoping to put on another couple of chapters on tomorrow, I want to get the first couple of books done asap as the last ones are going to be a mammoth task, but have no fear, I intend to do all seven!**

**Anyway, I am now calling it a night and getting away from my laptop before I get square eyes. Again a big thank you to everyone and I hope that you are enjoying this. Any crytisisms or compliments are welcomed so PLEASE REVIEW. **

**Forevertruex**

**A/N: Apologies to those who read up to chapter four and found themselves with chapter one again, thats what happens when the tiredness kicks in, I'm useless ;) Oh well, enjoy and review and thanks for letting me know! **


	5. The Keeper of the Keys

**CHAPTER FOUR - THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS**

'Wait a second dad.' James started. 'I have a question... I've just thought... How are we reading this? I mean, me and Lily only died...' he stopped to control the emotion in his voice. 'I mean... we passed on... not long ago. So how does it work that we are reading about Harry's future?'

'Oh James.' Dorea said in a sympathetic tone, clearly upset that she had to be the one to explain. 'We thought you might have known...' She stopped and sniffed slightly, so Rose thought it would be best to take over.

'It may feel like you died only a little while ago James but time moves differently here...'

'Yes.' Michael said, clearly uncomfortable. 'What may feel like no time at all to us, is actually years and years in the mortal world.'

'So we've actually missed ten years of Harry's life?' Lily asked in a chocked voice whilst Marlene comforted her.

'Yes.' Charlus said. 'But I think whoever sent us these books up here is giving you a second chance to see some of it, for which we all must be grateful because whilst we can look upon the living for brief periods of time, we don't get the full picture.'

Lily and James nodded, tears in their eyes at losing the memories of their sons first ten years, even if they were quite miserable.

'Just think he'll be here with us in what feels like no time.' Marlene said with a smile and everyone laughed.

'So as we read the book, the stuff in them is actually happening?' James asked.

His father nodded and then started to read.

'Chapter four, the keeper of the keys.' Charlus started and Lily gasped.

'Do you think that is Hagrid?' Everyone nodded, but otherwise did not answer.

**BOOM.**

**They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.**

'Idiot' Fabian and Gideon muttered.

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands - now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

'A rifle? A rifle!' Michael exclaimed.

'What is wrong with that man?' Rose asked. 'A rifle in the house with two small boys, oh if I ever get my hands on him!' she mumbled in anger.

**"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"**

**There was a pause. Then -**

**SMASH!**

'Yeah!' James and the twins shouted in delight.

**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

'That's got to be Hagrid.' Lily said smiling at the appearance of her old friend.

'He's getting away Lil.' James said in a cheery voice and she beamed at him.

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

'Is he actually a giant?' Rose asked in a small, terrified voice, she had never heard of a man so big.

'I would say that he is at least half.' Lily said knowledgably.

'Nah Lil, there's no way that he could be half-giant.' Marlene said, clearly shocked at what her friend thought.

'What other explanation is there?' Charlus asked, slightly bemused by the idea of a half-giant, why had he never thought that before?

'Swallowed a bottle of skele-grow?' Marlene shrugged half-heartedly, causing everyone to laugh.

**"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."**

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

**"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.**

'Always the charmer.' Dorea said in amusement.

**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**

**"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.**

'Nawwww, he's pleased to see him.' Lily cooed, much to the amusement of her husband.

**Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

**"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."**

'Awww.' Everyone cooed together.

'I wonder how often he will get that?' James mused.

'I'd say all the time, even as a baby he looked so much like you Jamie.' Lily said, tears in her eyes again about how much her precious son looked like her husband.

'He's going to be a handsome young man.' Rose said, beaming at James and Lily.

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

**"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

'Like Hagrid cares.' Gideon scoffed, whilst Fabian nodded in agreement.

**"Ah, shut up, Dursley, Yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

'Thank-god.' Michael muttered. 'Idiot man having a rifle in the house with children... what I wouldn't give... putting my grandsons in danger...' he continued to grumble incoherently whilst Charlus continued to read.

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

**"Anyway - Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**

'Hagrids food isn't really that nice.' James said laughing.

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.**

'Aww.' Lily said, happy that the giant man had made her son something for his birthday. He deserved it having to live with the Dursleys, she thought angrily.

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"**

'Manners Harry.' Lily, Dorea and Rose chastised.

**The giant chuckled.**

**"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

**He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

**"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together.**

**"I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

'You will not drink around my son Hagrid.' Lily said in a dangerous tone.

'Chill Lil. It's not like it hasn't been done before.' Marlene winked, remembering Harry's first birthday when they had finally gotten him off to sleep and the adults indulged in a nice fire-whiskey. It was the last time she had seen all of her friends before she died, she thought miserably. Lily blushed and motioned for Charlus to continue.

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled crisp bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.**

'Oh good.' Lily sighed, relieved.

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

'Like he would –'

'- give the fat chunk anything anyway.' Gideon and Fabian said.

**The giant chuckled darkly.**

**"Yet great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."**

Everyone laughed at this.

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

**"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."**

'Of course he won't.' James said darkly, upset that he wasn't there to tell these things to his son.

**"Er - no," said Harry.**

**Hagrid looked shocked.**

'Of course he's shocked! Harry should know about Hogwarts. Flaming Dursleys!' Marlene muttered angrily.

**"Sorry," Harry said quickly.**

'Don't apologise Harry!' Everyone chorused.

**"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yet parents learned it all?"**

Lily sobbed and leaned into James' chest, they were both visibly upset that their son knew nothing about that. How could Petunia do this? Lily thought.

**"All what?" asked Harry.**

**"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"**

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut.**

**The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**

**"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy - this boy! - knows nothin' abou' - about ANYTHING?"**

'Harry won't like that.' Rose laughed.

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

Everyone laughed lightly at this.

**"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."**

**"What world?"**

'Can you imagine what would have happened if Harry had gone to Hogwarts not knowing anything?' James asked quietly.

Everyone suppressed a shudder. "It would have been a nightmare." Dorea said.

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

**"DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

'This should be good,' Gideon said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**

**"But yeh must know about yet mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."**

'Oh great, just what I always wanted.' Lily muttered, James laughed but nodded his head in agreement.

**"What? My - my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

**"Yeh don' know... yeh don' know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

**"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.**

'That must be really hard for him.' Marlene said. 'Especially with how close he was to Lily and James.'

Everyone nodded, directing more anger at the Dursleys.

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

'Of course he would.' Lily mumbled, annoyed.

**"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sit! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

**"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

'He pissed off Hagrid?' Gideon asked amused.

'This is going to be priceless.' Fabian said.

**"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.**

**"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

**"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry - yer a wizard."**

'And silence.' Fabian said, causing everyone to laugh.

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

**"- a what?" gasped Harry.**

'Good reaction.' Marlene laughed.

**"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

'He'll be a fantastic wizard!' Lily and James said together, beaming at the thought of their son getting to Hogwarts and away from those awful people.

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to**

_**Mr H. Potter,  
The Floor,  
Hut-on-the-Rock,  
The Sea.**_

'It has to be Dumbledore or McGonagall sending these letters.' Dorea said in amusement.

**He pulled out the letter and read:**

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**_

'Go DUMBLEDORE!' Gideon, Fabian and James said together in excitement.

_**Dear Mr Potter,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts  
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all  
necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress**_

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

'That was the first question her asked?' Michael said, laughing lightly. He thought it was all quite amazing.

**"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl - a long quill, and a roll of parchment.**

**With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:**

_**Dear Professor Dumbledore,  
Given Harry his letter.  
Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.  
Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.  
Hagrid**_

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

Everyone laughed at Harry's thoughts.

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

**"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

**"He's not going," he said.**

**Hagrid grunted.**

**"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.**

'A what?' Rose asked, she had heard Lily said this before.

Charlus laughed and continued to read.

**"A what?" said Harry, interested.**

Rose blushed.

**"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like thern. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

**"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

'STAMP IT OUT OF HIM!' Everyone said appalled.

'What is wrong with him!' Lily fumed.

**"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a - a wizard?"**

**"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

'Of course we were!' Rose and Michael said together. 'We knew our Lily was special, why wouldn't we be proud that she had another world to shine in?' Rose asked rhetorically.

Lily got up to hug her parents, pleased that they were so understanding of her world.

'Thank-you.' She whispered.

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

'Oh, I bet she had.' Marlene grumbled in dislike.

**"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal - and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

A ringing silence followed after these words. Nobody quiet knew what to say, until Dorea just about exploded in fury.

'THAT INSOLENT LITTLE BITCH! HOW DARE SHE TELL HIM LIKE THAT!' She yelled, causing everyone to jump.

'Dor, love, calm down.' Charlus said.

'CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN! THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO TELL HIM, HE'S HAD TO LIVE WITH THAT FAMILY HIS WHOLE LIFE, BELIEVING THEY DIED IN A CAR CRASH AND THEN SHE JUST TELLS HIM LIKE THAT!'

'I agree with Dorea!' Rose fumed. 'How could she do that to Harry! It is disgusting behaviour!'

Everyone nodded in agreement, Lily and James seemed beyond fury. Their precious son had to believe that they died in a car crash, his whole life, and didn't even know what world they came from. It was beyond anger that they felt towards Petunia and Vernon now.

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**

'Poor fawn.' Lily muttered

**"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

'He won't like that.' Michael said, thinking about how much Lily shied away from the limelight when she was younger.

'I hope it doesn't go to his head.' Lily muttered, she was thinking about how arrogant James used to be when he was at school, she really hoped her son wasn't like that.

**"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

**"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but someone's gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."**

'That's true.' Charlus said. 'He couldn't go not knowing his own story, it would be a disaster!'

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**

**"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."**

'I wonder if he'll ever know the whole truth.' James mused and then shuddered. No, he thought, the only way he would be able to know the whole truth was if Voldemort came back and that couldn't happen... could it?

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows -"**

**"Who? "**

**"Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

**"Why not?"**

**"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."**

'Was it that bad?' Rose asked, hating the person that murdered her daughter and son-in-law.

'You have no idea.' Dorea whispered. 'I expect it'll be explained.'

**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

**"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

**"Nah -can't spell it. All right - Voldemort. "**

'Wow, he made Hagrid say it!' Gideon said, shocked.

'Well he deserved to know,' Fabian said, he too was shocked though, it was the first time Hagrid had said it.

**Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this - this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too - some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.**

'That sounds awful.' Rose said, upset.

'Lily-bean why did you never tell us how bad things had gotten?' Michael asked his daughter.

'I wanted to protect you.' Was all Lily said.

**"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.**

'Oh he asked us...' James said darkly whilst Lily nodded, pale faced.

'Us too,' Gideon, Fabian and Marlene said whilst the parents shivered.

**"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' - an' -"**

'Poor Hagrid.' Lily said quietly.

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

**"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find - anyway..."**

'Hagrid, mate...' James stopped and wiped his eyes, he didn't realise how loved he and his wife were.

**"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then - an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing - he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a Powerful, evil curse touches yeh - took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even - but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts - an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

Everyone's faces went pale as they thought of all the people that Voldemort had murdered.

'He was a monster.' Rose whispered, tears streaming down her face. 'All those people, so young...'

Everyone stayed silent for a moment in remembrance and then Charlus continued to read.

**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before - and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.**

'Oh my baby!' Lily wailed, distraught at what her son remembered. Everyone else was quiet, looking a little sick.

**Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

**"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."**

**"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

**"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured-**

'What!' James exclaimed, beside himself in anger. 'If you touched a single hair on my sons head...' he trailed off, his eyes flashing.

**- and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion - asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end -"**

'Oi!' Everyone, bar Lily and James, yelled in disgust.

'How could you say that about someone's deceased parents?' Marlene said in shock and disgust.

'This man has no boundaries!' Dorea said, aghast.

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you - one more word... "**

'Oh Hagrid.' Lily said again, tears in her eyes. 'I had no idea he cared for us so much.' James nodded and held his wife closer to him.

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

**"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.**

**Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

**"But what happened to Vol-, sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"**

'You of all people should say his name Harry.' Marlene said.

**"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... he was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go?**

**"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don't reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.**

**"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on - I dunno what it was, no one does - but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**

'Do you think he'll come back?' Lily whispered, fearing for her son's life more and more.

'Yes.' James said, the suspicion had been growing in his mind for a while.

'Like Hagrid said, he didn't have enough human left in him to die.' Fabian said.

'But... but do you think he will try to kill Harry again?' Rose asked, fearing for her grandson's life.

'I reckon so Rosie.' Michael said grimly.

All the adults looked around at each other with wide, shocked and scared eyes.

'He'll be ok.' Marlene whispered. 'He's strong.'

**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

'It doesn't work like that sweetheart.' Dorea said, even though her grandson couldn't hear her.

**"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."**

**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

Everyone laughed.

'Typical Hagrid.' Gideon grinned.

**"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

**Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it... every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry... chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach... dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back... and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

'You didn't set it on him Harry, it was an accident.' James said in defence of his son.

'A cool accident!' Gideon laughed.

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

**"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

'He'll hate that.' Michael said again, thinking of how like Lily his grandson seemed to be.

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

'Oh shut up you git.' Rose said, much to the surprise and amusement of everyone else.

**"Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books and wands and -"**

**"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad.**

'I am actually starting to think that he is.' Dorea said.

**His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled-"**

**"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

'Now he has really done it!' Gideon said laughing.

'This is going to be priceless.' Fabian said, also laughing.

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER," he thundered, "- INSULT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDORE- IN- FRONT- OF- ME!"**

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley - there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

Everyone burst into laughter.

'That... that poor boy!' Rose chocked, trying and failing at not to being amused by what had happened to her grandson.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

**"Shouldn't a lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

Again everyone laugh.

'God, Hagrid cracks me up.' Gideon said.

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

**"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."**

**"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

**"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

**"Why were you expelled?"**

'Harry!' Lily said exasperated. 'That's personal,'

'Come on Lil, he's just curious.' James said, a twinkle in his eyes.

**"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that." He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

**"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."**

'That's nice of him' Dorea said.

'Yeah, minus the dormice.' Marlene replied, shuddering a little.

'That's the end of the chapter. Who wants to read next?' Charlus asked.

'Me, I'll read.' Rose said.

* * *

**Hello again. **

**Just want to say a big thank you, again for all my reviews and the adds to alert lists, really makes me smile when I get an email. This is my first update for today, I might upload a couple more chapters, but I'm not sure yet, I have an essay to finish, so we'll see. I hope you're enjoying the story and I'm happy that so many people like the idea and think that it's quite original. **

**I want to thank the people that picked up on the fact that the timing is all mixed up, because I forgot all about it. It was meant to be mentioned in the first chapter, but I completely forgot so I've added it to this one. I like to think that it works, and if not it just gives an explanation as to what is happening and when. I hope you all like the characters that are reading, I'm trying to keep them as diverse as I can and the good thing about using characters that are not necessarily big parts in the books is that they can all have a different personality because we don't actually know what they're like!**

**Anyway, I will stop rambling now and hopefully get another couple of chapters up for you by this evening. Enjoy and please review.**

**Forevertruex**


	6. Diagon Alley

**CHAPTER FIVE - DIAGON ALLEY**

'Chapter five – Diagon alley.' Michael started.

'Oh he'll love it there.' Marlene said.

'We should be the one's taking him.' Lily sniffed whilst James nodded.

'Oh Lil...' Marlene started but Lily shook her head and smiled at her friend.

'It's ok, we've got to get used to it I suppose. We aren't ever going to be there to see it...'

Everyone looked a little sobered by the reminder so Michael thought it would be best to read now.

**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

**"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard."**

'That's just sad,' Gideon said, looking miserable for Harry.

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise. And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

'Poor fawn.' Dorea muttered.

**"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."**

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him.**

'Oh good!' Said Lily happily.

–**He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

**"Don't do that."**

**Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

**"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl…"**

**"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

'He doesn't know how to Hagrid.' Charlus said with a laugh.

'You have to pay owls?' Rose asked intrigued.

'Only the news owls mum' Lily replied.

**"What?"**

**"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags... finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

'How does he fit it all in there?' Michael said in amazement before continuing to read.

**"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.**

**"Knuts?"**

**"The little bronze ones."**

'You have coins?' Rose asked amazed, the wizards just nodded at her but offered no explanation.

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

'He was getting up anyway but Harry had to give the owl the money?' Lily laughed and shook her head at Hagrid's behaviour.

**"Best be Off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."**

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

'Oh no!' Marlene said upset, she didn't like it when her godson was miserable.

'Not the balloon!' Gideon exclaimed, laughing along with Fabian.

**"Um - Hagrid?"**

**"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

**"I haven't got any money - and you heard Uncle Vernon last night... he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."**

'Don't worry son, we have plenty of money.' James said with a smirk.

'More than those dratted Dursley's anyway.' Charlus said, smirking in an identical way to his son.

Lily and Dorea rolled their eyes at their husband's behaviour.

**"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

'Never.' Lily vowed.

**"But if their house was destroyed -"**

'Who keeps their money in the house?' Michael muttered looking confused.

'He's just a child Mike.' Rose said, as though this gave reason to the peculiar comment.

**"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."**

**"Wizards have banks?"**

'Of course silly, we aren't completely uncivilised.' Marlene said sarcastically.

'I remember the first time we saw Gringotts, we were completely amazed. Those goblins sure are something!' Michael said whilst Rose and Lily nodded enthusiastically.

**"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

'I bet that was a bit of a shock.' Gideon said.

'Almost as shocking as being a wizard ay Gid?' Fabian said laughing loudly.

**"Goblins?"**

**"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe - 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you gettin' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me, see.**

**"Got everythin'? Come on, then."**

'He hasn't got anything.' Lily mumbled angrily.

**Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

**"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

**"Flew," said Hagrid.**

**"Flew?"**

'I wonder if it was on Sirius' bike?' James mused. 'I can't imagine a brookstick would hold him up.'

The wizards nodded, knowing how big Hagrid actually was, they couldn't see a stick holding him up either.

**"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

**"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"**

'Hmmm.' Lily started to frown, she didn't like that Hagrid was asking her son to keep secrets.

**"Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

**"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.**

**"Spells - enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way - Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."**

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

'I can imagine that you have sweetheart.' Dorea murmured, she really felt sorry for her grandson.

**"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

'There's a Ministry of Magic?' Rose asked in interest.

'Course, how do you think we keep ourselves a secret?'

Rose shrugged, but her eyes were still alight with interest as she motioned for husband to continue reading.

**"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

**"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o'course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."**

'Fudge!' All the wizards exclaimed in shock.

'Who would make that idiot minister?' Charlus said, clearly annoyed.

'He was always bumbling around the ministry when I worked there, didn't know his right from his left.' Dorea said, also annoyed by this appointment.

'This can't be good for the wizarding world.' Marlene muttered.

**"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"**

'Lots of things.' Lily said in response to her son's question, smiling.

**"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."**

**"Why?"**

**"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."**

'And because they would never accept us.' Lily said, clearly thinking of Petunia.

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passers-by stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"**

'I like to think 'muggles', as you call us, do fantastic without magic.' Rose muttered, her eyes twinkling whilst the wizards and witches laughed at her.

**"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"**

'I wonder if there are?' James mused.

'That would be AWESOME!' Gideon and Fabian said together, high fiving each other.

**"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."**

**"You'd like one?"**

'He'd like one?' Rose said in a faint voice.

'Hagrid has always been a little strange when it comes to dangerous creatures.' Dorea told her soothingly.

**"Wanted one ever since I was a kid - here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.**

'Only Hagrid.' Charlus and Marlene said at the same time, shaking their heads whilst everyone else laughed.

**"Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches. Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

**"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."**

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:**

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**_

_**UNIFORM  
First-year students will require:  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**_

_**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**_

_**COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk **_

'That's always on there.' Gideon muttered.

'Yeah, they should get some new material.' Fabian laughed, shaking his head at his brother.

_**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot  
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble **_

'They have a defence professor then.' James commented.

'What do you mean Jamie?' Dorea asked her son.

'Dumbledore has trouble getting one every year. Everyone seems to think that the job is cursed, there hasn't been one for more than two years at time since we started school.'

Dorea and Charlus looked interested by this but otherwise did not comment.

_**OTHER EQUIPMENT  
Wand  
Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
Set glass or crystal phials  
Telescope  
Set brass scales**_

_**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**_

'He'll want an owl.' James said happily. 'Owls are the best.' He continued, thinking of his own owl, Ares, he wondered what had happened to him now he had died.

'No, he wants a cat!' Lily said laughing. 'He always loved Crookshanks.' James frowned at his wife, his son was not having a cat!

'As long as it isn't a toad.' Marlene said pulling a strange face.

_**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**_

'That was always a silly rule.' James said. 'I was a fantastic flier when I was eleven, I wish I could have played for my whole seven years!'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'James, you played for six or those seven, won every year and became captain in your fifth year. What more do you want?' She said in a mock, exasperated tone.

He laughed and kissed her on the cheek, he knew she was right of course, but he wouldn't admit that.

**"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.**

**"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.**

'Don't complain Hagrid.' Dorea said, rolling her eyes slightly.

**"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

'We have managed for millions of years.' Michael said rolling his eyes at the giant man's behaviour.

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humour, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

'The Dursley's don't believe in imagination Harry!' Charlus reminded his grandson, as though he were actually there.

'They don't... what?' Marlene said, completely shocked.

'It was in the first chapter.' Lily explained. 'They hate everything out of the ordinary and don't approve or believe in imagination.'

'Those people are _sooo _frustrating!' Marlene said angrily.

**"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

'Isn't it that grubby little pub we had to go into?' Michael asked his wife and daughter, bemused.

'Being famous doesn't depend on appearance.' Lily told her dad with an eye roll.

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby.**

Lily rolled her eyes again, her son reminded her of her father.

**A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"**

'He better not drink with Harry there.' Lily muttered furiously.

**"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

**"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this - can this be -?"**

'IT IS!' Gideon and Fabian yelled, causing everyone to laugh and jump.

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

**"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter... what an honour."**

'Hmph.' James said, he didn't like this.

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

'Tears?' Marlene scoffed. 'Really?'

'Well he is the reason for Voldemort being gone Marlene.' Charlus said kindly.

'Yeah, that would mean a lot to the wizarding world.' Dorea said.

She nodded, but she didn't like this either, poor Harry wouldn't be able to go anywhere without being gawped at.

**"Welcome back, Mr Potter, welcome back."**

'That's kind.' Lily smiled although she didn't like the attention her son was getting.

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

**"Doris Crockford, Mr Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

**"So proud, Mr Potter, I'm just so proud."**

**"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter."**

**"Delighted, Mr Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

'Always good for a laugh is old Ded.' James said laughing at his friends antics.

**"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."**

**"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again - Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

'Really?' Rose said exasperated. 'Poor Harry.'

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

**"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

**"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you."**

'I hope he isn't the defence professor.' Fabian said laughing his head off.

'Yeah it sounds like one spell would do him in.' Gideon said, also laughing.

**"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

**"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," **

Everyone groaned.

'He'll be useless.' Dorea said shaking her head.

**-muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" **

'What does that mean? He's only a child!' Lily exclaimed.

'What do these people think he did, picked up a wand at one year's old and duelled Voldemort to his death?' James said angrily.

He hugged his wife tightly, they both thought about how much pressure would be put on their poor son's shoulders and all for something that he couldn't really remember.

'Poor fawn.' Lily muttered into James' chest.

**-He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

'At least he's getting him out of there now.' Rose sighed in relief, she felt awful for her grandson.

**"Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."**

**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, **

'Hmmph.'

**-and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.**

**"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."**

**"Is he always that nervous?"**

**"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some first hand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, **

'That seems a bit drastic, don't you think?' Dorea asked the wizards and witches present. 'I mean, how is he meant to teach something that he is afraid of?'

Everyone shrugged in response, they were also confused by Dumbledore's appointment of this man.

**-where's me umbrella?"**

**Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

**"Three up... two across," he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

Everyone sat up a little straighter in anticipation, eager to hear what Harry thought.

**"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."**

**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop.**

'Get on with it!' Gideon exclaimed in excitement.

**Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.**

**"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."**

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. **

Everyone laughed at this, nodding in agreement, especially Lily, Rose and Michael who had been as fascinated as Harry the first time that they visited Diagon Alley.

**-He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..."**

'I bet that is Molly Weasley.' Dorea laughed.

**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever -"**

James, Gideon and Fabian in particular looked excited at the mention of a new broomstick.

**There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...**

**"Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was -**

**"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry.**

'Wow, he's short.' Fabian snorted.

'I think James was actually shorter at Harry's age.' Lily and Marlene said, dissolving into giggles whilst everyone laughed at James' hurt pout.

**He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

'Oh I love this poem.' Fabian sighed in a mock girly voice, whilst the women glared and the men laughed.

_**Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there.**_

'You'd be mad to try and rob it.' Charlus said with a grin on his face.

**"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.**

Everyone laughed at the similarity of the comments as Charlus blushed.

**A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses.**

'That was a fascinating sight the first time.' Michael said to his wife who nodded.

**There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

**"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr Harry Potter's safe."**

'I wonder if he's famous with the goblins?' Lily mused.

**"You have his key, Sir?"**

**"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers.**

**The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

**"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

'He won't have like someone else having Harry's key.' Charlus said knowledgably.

**"That seems to be in order."**

**"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."**

'Oooh! I wonder what that is?' Lily asked in interest. Her husband snorted and she mock punched him on the arm. 'Oh be quiet James.' She blushed.

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

**"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have Someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

**Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

**"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.**

'He has his mother's curiosity.' Marlene said winking at her best friend who flushed pink again.

**"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

'That's just going to make him more interested!' Dorea said, laughing slightly.

**Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.**

'Woah.' Gideon said.

'That's impressive' Fabian said.

'Most people don't even pay that much attention.' Marlene laughed at the twins. 'But it is impressive that he remembered that much.

**The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

**Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late **

'Was it a dragon?' Michael asked Charlus in amazement.

'Yes, they only guard the oldest of vaults though, there is one stationed in front of our own family vault, it is however half-blind, extremely dangerous.'

Michael stared, wide eyed, but continued to read after a moment.

**- they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

**"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "What's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"**

'Well-' Dorea started, but Charlus stopped her.

'- we_ know_ dear.' He said as everyone laughed.

**"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. **

'I wasn't going to say that.' Dorea huffed.

**-"An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."**

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**

'This must be the trust vault.' James said, there didn't seem to be enough there.

'He has all that gold, silver and bronze in a trust vault?' Rose asked shocked.

James nodded. 'Like dad said, we have a family vault (this contains all of our portraits, jewels and general things embossed with the family crest) that has been in our family for generations, and Harry's trust vault, to see him through his school career. He will have access to the family vault when he is seventeen. He's going to be very rich.' James laughed as Rose looked shocked.

**"All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

'He better not tell them about it.' James said, his eyes narrowing. 'Dursley wouldn't be able to wait to get his piggy fingers on it... Not that he actually could.' James said with a scowl and then a shrug.

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

**"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

**"One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

'Ugh, he seems to have no fear.' Lily muttered as James laughed.

'He is just excited Lil.'

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

**"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

**"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

**"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.**

**"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

'Goblins.' Dorea muttered disgustedly, shaking her head at their bloodlust.

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least - but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. **

'What is it?' Gideon asked in excitement.

'The Philosopher's stone?' Lily suggested.

Everyone stared at her in shock and she rolled her eyes.

'Honestly! It's the title of the book!' She exclaimed causing everyone to laugh.

**-Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

**"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.**

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life - more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

'I bet that feels good.' Charlus laughed.

**"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

**"Hogwarts, clear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."**

'He might make a friend!' Lily said, trying to cover the sadness she felt at not being able to help her son and fuss over his school robes. I'm missing so much, she thought miserably. James saw through her facade and pulled her close to him again, kissing her forehead softly.

'It's ok my flower, he'll be ok.' She nodded into his chest, a few tears escaping.

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him) slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

**"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"**

**"Yes," said Harry.**

**"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice.**

**"Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."**

'He sounds like a Malfoy!' James said in clear dislike.

'He's defiantly a Slytherin.' Marlene muttered with distaste.

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

**"Have **_**you**_** got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

**"No," said Harry.**

**"Play Quidditch at all?"**

**"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

'Ahh man!' James groaned. 'I had so much to teach him!' He shook his head and then put it into his hands to hide his tears. This wasn't fair! He thought.

'Shh Jamie, it's ok.' Lily said soothingly, it was her turn to comfort her husband.

**"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"**

**"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

**"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

'He's defiantly a Slytherin.' Gideon muttered, he sound like a right foul git.

**"Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

**"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

**"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't.**

**"He works at Hogwarts."**

**"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"**

'He is not a servant!' Dorea said angrily, this boy was just awful.

'I agree with Harry, he is like the wizarding equivalent of that other grandson of mine.' Michael said annoyed.

**"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.**

**"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."**

'That happened once!' Fabian said, causing everyone to laugh, easing the tension.

**"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

**"**_**Do**_** you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"**

**"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

**"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"**

'Pure blood extremists as parents no doubt.' Dorea said angrily.

'What do you mean?' Rose asked in interest.

'There are those of our kind who are fully descended from wizards and they have no muggle blood at all in their family. Ours for example, before James married Lily and had Harry, was one of those families. However, some of these family think it is wrong for muggle-borns or half-bloods to be allowed access to the wizarding because they 'pollute the blood lines' and are not worthy to study magic.' Dorea explain, her face twisting in distaste, she hated those types of people.

'That is completely barbaric.' Rose said.

'I agree.' Charlus said. 'Some of the best witches and wizards have come from muggle families, take your Lily for example.' He said gesturing to his daughter-in-law, who blushed. 'She was the best witch in her class, you'll be hard pressed to find a better witch than her in any of the pureblood families.'

Rose nodded, upset at the extremist's ideas, but not wanting to question it further and motioned for her husband to continue.

**"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

**"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"**

'Git.' Marlene said. 'He defiantly comes from one of those families.' She told Rose. 'Just because he was born into a wizarding family he seems to think he is royalty.'

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

**"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

**Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).**

**"What's up?" said Hagrid.**

**"Nothing," Harry lied.**

'Poor fawn.' Lily murmured, wishing she could comfort her son now more than ever.

**They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

**"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know - not knowin' about Quidditch!"**

**"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pate boy in Madam Malkin's. "-and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in."**

**"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were - he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"**

'That's true,' Michael said. 'You wouldn't think our Lil would be so good of a witch if you saw Petunia, she thinks that she is worth nothing.'

**"So what is Quidditch?"**

**"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like - like football in the Muggle world - everyone follows Quidditch - played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."**

'The best sport in the world!' The men (bar Michael) all exclaimed loudly.

**"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"**

**"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but -"**

'They aren't!' Dorea said. One of her best friends was a Hufflepuff and one of the most loyal and brave person she had ever met.

**"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.**

'That won't happen Harry.' Lily said, she knew her son would be a Gryffindor, he reminded her too much of his father not to be.

**"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."**

'That isn't true.' Charlus said. 'There are loads of people from other houses that have gone bad, Slytherins' lot are just a little cowardly and prefer to save their own necks, it doesn't make them evil.'

No one decided to contradict him, but there were a few frowning faces from the gathering witches and wizards.

**"Vol-, sorry - You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"**

**"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.**

**They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

**"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."**

Everyone laughed.

'So much like his father.' Marlene muttered to James, who stuck his tongue out at her in reply.

**"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

**"Just yer wand left - A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."**

'That is so sweet!' Lily said, beaming with happiness. She was glad that someone was finally doing something nice for her son.

**Harry felt himself go red.**

**"You don't have to -"**

**"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."**

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

Everyone laughed lightly at this.

'At least he's being polite.' Lily said with a huge smile on his face.

**"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now - only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand... this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.**

'I was.' All the wizards and witches said together.

'It just makes everything seem real.' Lily said.

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

**"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

**"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.**

**"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."**

'He remembered!' Lily stated shocked at this. And then put her hand in the pocket of the jumper she was wearing (her clothes had changed back to the ones she was wearing when she died, as opposed to the white dress she wore in the strange white dimension.) She frowned slightly when she couldn't find her wand.

'I guess we don't get them up here?' She asked her fellow witches and wizards.

'No.' Charlus replied, 'There is no need for them here.'

She nodded and gestured for her dad to continue.

**Mr Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

**"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. **

James smiled at this. 'My best subject.' He announced.

**-Well, I say your father favoured it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."**

**Mr Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

**"And that's where..."**

**Mr Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

**"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly.**

**"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."**

**He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

**"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

**"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.**

**"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

'He's like Dumbledore.' Dorea said smiling. 'Completely omniscient, see's through everything.'

**"Er - yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

**"But you don't use them?" said Mr Ollivander sharply.**

**"Oh, no, sit," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

'Surrreeee.' The Prewett twins said together, laughing.

'We've only seen him use it a few times already.' Marlene said, joining in the laughter.

**"Hmmm," said Mr Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now - Mr Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

**"Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.**

**"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."**

**Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

**"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr Potter. Try this one. Beech wood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."**

**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

**"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -"**

**Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr Ollivander.**

**"No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."**

**Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

'I wonder how many he had to try!' Lily said laughing, she got hers on the third go.

**"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."**

**Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers.**

'There we go sweetheart.' Lily said beaming at her son.

**He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... "**

**He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious…"**

**"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"**

'What indeed!' Dorea said.

**Mr Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.**

**"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."**

Silence. James was the first to break it.

'What?' He gasped.

'That's could be either a good or bad thing.' Dorea murmured, she didn't like the idea much.

'He doesn't want that to be getting around.' Marlene said in shock.

**Harry swallowed.**

**"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."**

'He's saying it like it's a good thing!' Michael said in disgust.

'It is merely the magic he is impressed by, not the action.' Charlus tried to explain, but he too found it a little unnerving.

**Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop.**

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.**

**"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.**

**He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

**"You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.**

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life - and yet - he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

**"Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. **

'You are.' Everyone chorused together.

**"All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr Ollivander... but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died."**

'Poor lamb.' Rose muttered, she hated the way that her grandson was being made to feel.

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

**"Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, 'smatter of fact."**

'Hogwarts is amazing.' Marlene said warmly.

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.**

**"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me... See yeh soon, Harry."**

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.**

'That's it,' Michael said. 'Shall we take a little break before we read again? Give us time to talk properly.'

Every one nodded in agreement and he closed the book, putting on a pile with the other six.

* * *

**I know I promised a few updates today but I've been so busy and this chapter took me ages to complete, they're getting harder to do! So yes, please accept my apologies but I hope that you do enjoy this chapter. **

**Thank you for the reviews again! And thanks for those that are picking up on my mistakes, it makes it easier for me to pick up on this when I am looking back through the chapters now. **

**ColorMyStarsYellow13 - thanks for picking up on my mistake with Rose (Who yes, is Lily's mum ;)), but I can't fine where i've done it, could you maybe point me in the right direction, I'd like to correct it if I could, I don't want there to be any confusion, knowing me Dorea (James' mum) was meant to say it, but I wrote Rose instead. So please, just pop me a not to let me know and thanks for picking up on it!**

**I hope you're all excited for us nearly being up to the Hogwarts chapters, I know I am! I'm really pleased with how fast I am progressing with this story and how much everyone seems to enjoy, if you have any suggestions then _please _let me know, I am open to ideas. **

**There should be at least two more chapters up tomorrow, I want to get this story done in at least a week or two. Please review!**

**Forevertruex**


	7. The Journey From Platform Nine and Three

**CHAPTER SIX - THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS**

Lily sat hugging her mother tightly.

'I'm sorry mum.' She whispered. 'I missed you.'

Rose just continued to hold her daughter contently in her arms, though she hated that Lily had to die at only twenty-one years old, she felt that it was better for her to be here with her mother even though her grandson was alone with her other, more cruel and less understanding, daughter, she was still grateful to have her Lily back.

James was watching his wife sitting in her mother's arms, his mother and her best friend Marlene sitting next to her, holding her tightly, he felt an over-whelming sense of grief. He hated that he had not been able to protect his beautiful wife, the only woman he had ever truly love and their son. His Harry, his precious fawn, why had they not been able to stay with him to protect him from the life that Lily's sister had forced him to live, miserable and not able to remember them? What sort of life was that for a young child? What was life going to be like for Harry now?

James hung his head and felt the sad tears cascade down his face and an arm came around his shoulders.

'Son, it's alright,' His father murmured in his ear. 'It isn't your fault, nor Lily's, there is nothing you can do now, I'm sorry that this had to happen Jamie, but it isn't your fault.'

James nodded lightly and continued to look at his wife. He saw her look at her best friend and smile widely before laughing, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.

What felt like hours passed and everyone chatted with each other, catching up on what the afterlife felt like and what they had been able to see whilst they were there. Lily and James were back in each other's arms murmuring sweet nothings to each other whilst their family and friends affirmed that everything would be O.K.

'Do you think it's time to read again?' Rose asked quietly, she knew how quickly the hours passed here and how Lily and James would feel if they missed too much.

'Yes. Yes we should Rose.' Dorea said, clearly thinking along the same lines.

'I'll read!' Marlene said happily, her cheer voice causing everyone to laugh.

'**Chapter six, The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters' **Marlene started and every one sat up a little straighter with huge smiles on their faces.

'We're going to know what it was like on that train!' Rose gushed, whilst Michael nodded excitedly.

'I wonder if he'll make friends?' Lily and Dorea fretted slightly.

'Wicked!' James, Gideon and Fabian exclaimed.

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun.**

'A month?' Lily whispered, horrified.

'We've missed a month already?' James said in the same horrified tone.

'We told you time moves strangely here.' Dorea whispered, clearly scared of their reactions.

'A month... a month...' Lily whispered.

'It's ok Lilybean,' Michael told his daughter. 'It's going to happen.'

'But we... it felt like we were only talking for a couple of hours...' James said, shell shocked.

'I know son, you will get used to it and accept what is happening.' Charlus told his son who nodded and motioned for Marlene to continue.

**True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, **

'Way-heyyyy!' Fabian and Gideon exclaimed happily.

**-while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him - in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.**

'That's awful.' Marlene muttered. She thought that it would be better to be shouted at.

**Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty.**

'Hmm.' James groaned in a testy tone.

**Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.**

'I can imagine.' A few gathered muttered.

**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, **

'That's a good name.' Dorea said appreciably. 'If I'm not mistaken, that is from Bathilda's book.'

**-a name he had found in A History of Magic.**

Dorea nodded smugly.

**His school books were very interesting.**

'Oh no!' James moaned. 'He's going to be a bookworm!' James, Gideon and Fabian, Michael and Charlus laughed whilst the women glared at him.

'There is nothing wrong with that James!' Lily said, in mock anger.

**He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. **

'Her expression would be fantastic!' Lily said happily, though hoping that her sister wouldn't see them because it wouldn't be good for her son.

**Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

'Everyone does that.' Gideon said smiling.

**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, **

'He left it that long!' Rose said aghast.

'What if they don't take him?' Lily fretted.

**-so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

James and the two Prewett twins laughed loudly at this.

**"Er - Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

'Wow - Harry is fluent in troll!' Fabian said grinning.

**"Er - I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

**"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.**

'Never suppose anything son.' James said in a casual tone.

**"Thank you."**

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

**"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"**

'They have been illegal for years.' Charlus said, much to the amusement of Michael.

**Harry didn't say anything.**

**"Where is this school, anyway?"**

**"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket. "I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.**

'That platform always amazed me.' Michael said in appreciation.

**His aunt and uncle stared.**

**"Platform what?"**

'Petunia!' Lily, Rose and Michael exclaimed angrily, she was just going to blatantly lie to her nephew about where the platform was? That was wrong.

**"Nine and three-quarters."**

**"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."**

'Yes there is.' Everyone contradicted.

**"It's on my ticket."**

**"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

**"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

'Don't bother.' Marlene muttered.

**"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."**

Everyone laughed again.

**Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes - he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.**

'He's getting away.' Lily said happily.

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

'He better not do anything.' James said, his eyes flashing.

**"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

'Git.' Fabian and Gideon said together.

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.**

'Oh there is.' Dorea said wistfully.

**"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word.**

'He left an eleven year old in the middle of Kings cross station?' Dorea said in absolute disgust.

'How dare he!' Lily yelled.

**Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing.**

'That is just cruel.' Marlene said in disgust.

**Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.**

'Don't do that fawn.' Lily murmured in worry.

**He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic.**

Everyone grimaced but otherwise held in their comments for the sake of Lily and James who were both looking terrified and sick at the thought of their son left alone in a busy train station. They were all united in one though at that moment, 'Lily and James should be there.'

**According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.**

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.**

'That isn't a good idea.' Charlus murmured, completely tense.

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"- packed with Muggles, of course -"**

Everyone let out a breath of relief.

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. **

'Weasley's!' Fabian and Gideon said enthusiastically, they were glad they would be able to hear about their nephews.

**Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him - and they had an owl.**

**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

**"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.**

'Molly!' Fabian said, shaking his head in exasperation.

**"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go... "**

'They have a girl now?' Lily said with a huge smile, she knew that Molly always wanted a little girl.

'Looks like it.' Fabian said.

'Doesn't that mean they'll have 6 or 7 children?' Gideon asked, shaking his head at his younger sister.

**"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."**

'Ahh Percy.' Fabian said beaming, though his nephew was always a bit pompous he loved him a lot.

**What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten.**

**Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it - but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

**"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.**

'That'll be one of the twins, won't it?' Marlene asked. Fabian and Gideon nodded, remembering the two twin boys that were born on April fools day, they were sure to be pranksters.

**"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"**

'Defiantly pranksters.' Fabian and Gideon said together grinning widely. 'We played that trick on Molly all the time.'

**"Sorry, George, dear."**

**"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it?**

'Poor Harry.' Rose muttered.

**Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there - and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere. There was nothing else for it.**

**"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.**

'Good boy.' James said appreciably, he was glad that his son was wise enough to ask for help.

**"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."**

'They must have seven then.' Gideon said to Fabian who nodded his head.

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.**

'Good description.' James snorted.

**"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -"**

**"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.**

'Thank-you Molly,' Lily breathed.

**"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."**

'She is such a good women.' Lily said to the twins, who nodded, they loved their sister dearly.

**"Er - okay," said Harry.**

**He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.**

'It isn't.' Charlus said mysteriously.

**He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble - leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run - the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - he wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control - he was a foot away - he closed his eyes ready for the crash - It didn't come... he kept on running... he opened his eyes.**

**A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. **

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, he really was getting away.

**A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. He had done it.**

'Yes!' Everyone either exclaimed or sighed in relief.

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

'Beautiful.' Rose and Michael murmured, remembering the first time they saw the platform.

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."**

**"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.**

'Neville?' Lily asked, confused and worried. Marlene looked at her, something passing between their eyes.

'What is it Lily dear?' Rose asked.

'Alice and Frank Longbottom's son was called Neville.' Lily explained.

'And?' Her father asked.

'Well where are they?'

No one seemed to have an answer but worry set in.

'They can't be dead Lily dear.' Dorea assured her daughter in law who had tears in her eyes.

'How do you know?' She asked.

'They would be here.' Dorea told her simply.

'Maybe.' Lily mused. She and Marlene continued to look at each other, there was no way that Alice and Frank wouldn't be there for their son's first day.

Worried settled in for those who knew the Longbottoms, what had happened to them?

**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

**"Give us a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.**

'Eeew.' Fabian said shuddering, he didn't like spiders.

**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.**

'Poor fawn.' Lily cooed.

**"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.**

'Oh good.' James said.

**"Yes, please," Harry panted.**

**"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"**

**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

**"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

**"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.**

**"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you?"**

**"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.**

'Hmph,' Lily and James sighed, they didn't like that their son would get this all the time.

**"Oh, him," said Harry.**

Everyone laughed, albeit a little sadly.

**"I mean, yes, I am."**

**The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

**"Fred? George? Are you there?"**

**"Coming, Mom."**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train. Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

**"Ron, you've got something on your nose."**

'Molly!' The twins said exasperated.

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.**

Everyone shook with laugher.

**"Mom - geroff" He wriggled free.**

**"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.**

'Jokers.' Michael and Charlus said laughing.

**"Shut up," said Ron.**

**"Where's Percy?" said their mother.**

**"He's coming now."**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.**

'Eurgh.' James, Gideon and Fabian said in disgust.

'James!' Lily and Dorea exclaimed. 'You were head boy!'

Everyone laughed whilst James looked embarrassed and quickly gestured for Marlene to continue.

**"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"**

**"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."**

**"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once -"**

**"Or twice -"**

**"A minute -"**

**"All summer -"**

Everyone laughed at the twins.

**"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.**

**"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.**

**"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

**"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -"**

'Never give them ideas Molly.' Dorea said shaking her head. She still remembered clearly all the mischief that James and his friends got up to at school.

**"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

**"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."**

**"It's not funny. And look after Ron."**

**"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."**

'Sure he is.' James murmured sarcastically.

**"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

**"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

'Here we go.' Marlene muttered.

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

**"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"**

**"Who?"**

**"Harry Potter!"**

Everyone gasped in feigned shock and then dissolved into giggles.

**Harry heard the little girl's voice. "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please..."**

'He's not a piece of art work!' Lily said indigently, whilst James looked a little superior, an all knowing look in his eyes at the mention of the red haired young girl.

**"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"**

**"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."**

**"Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."**

**"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"**

'You can't ask him that!' Rose and Dorea said aghast.

**Their mother suddenly became very stern. "I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."**

'Thank you Molly,' Lily sighed.

**"All right, keep your hair on."**

'Woah-'

'They said that to Molly?' The twins said in shock.

**A whistle sounded.**

**"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

**"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

**"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."**

More laughter.

**"George!"**

**"Only joking, Mom."**

'Sure.'

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved. Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.**

'That is sadly true.' Lily said shaking her head, her son shouldn't be made feel like that.

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

'I bet they'll be friends.' James said, the Weasley's were mentioned far too much for Harry not to get on with them.

**"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."**

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.**

**"Hey, Ron." The twins were back. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."**

'Eww.' Fabian said again, he really disliked spiders.

**"Right," mumbled Ron.**

**"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."**

**"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

**"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.**

Everyone laughed.

'Typical Weasley.' Marlene murmured to Lily.

**Harry nodded.**

**"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know..." He pointed at Harry's forehead.**

**Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

**"So that's where You-Know-Who."**

**"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."**

'Harry.' James sighed, you aren't meant to admit to eavesdropping. Lily shook her head at her husband.

**"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.**

**"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

**"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.**

**"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him**.

'Aww,' Dorea and Rose cooed, but both were annoyed that this was the case, especially when one considers that their grandson had both magical parents.

**"Er - Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."**

'hmmph.' Lily sighed.

'It's not like that –'

'He wants nothing to do with us.' The twins explained to Lily who immediately looked appeased.

**"So you must know loads of magic already." The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.**

**"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

**"Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

**"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy.**

'He must have a lot to live up to.' James said frowning, he couldn't imagine what that must be like.

**"I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."**

'That's not good.' Fabian said as Gideon nodded, they didn't want their nephew to feel like that.

**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.**

**"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

'As much as I don't like that, I can understand why,' Lily said. 'It must be hard having all that to live up to.' Everyone nodded but didn't otherwise comment.

**"... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort"**

**Ron gasped.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people -"**

'He has every right.' James said defiantly.

**"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."**

'You won't be.' Dorea said.

**"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"**

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry - but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.**

Everyone laughed at Harry's enthusiasm.

**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. "Hungry, are you?"**

'You better share Harry James Potter.' Lily warned.

**"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."**

**"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on -"**

'Kind boy.' Dorea and Rose said happily.

**"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."**

**"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

'And then they become best friends.' James said in a mystical tone, making everyone laugh.

**"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

'I was like that.' Lily said laughing, her parents looked both bemused and fascinated at the same time.

**"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

**"What?"**

**"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half- moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and moustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

'Yay!' All the younger wizards yelled.

**"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.**

**"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa – thanks Harry turned over his card and read:**

_**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**_

_**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindlewald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. **_

'That is the creator of the Philosopher's stone, if I remember correctly.' Lily said.

_**Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.**_

Everyone started to laugh, typical Dumbledore.

**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "He's gone!"**

'Again, that's what I was like.' Lily said, laughing a little sadly at her son's reaction.

'What does he mean?' Rose asked, Lily just gestured for Marlene to continue, sure that it would be explained.

**"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.**

**"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

**"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"**

**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile.**

Rose and Michael look amazed whilst the wizards and witches laughed.

**Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.**

**"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour - you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a bogey-flavoured one once."**

'That's gross.' Michael muttered.

'They don't sound at all appealing.' Rose agreed.

**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

**"Bleaaargh - see? Sprouts."**

**They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.**

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

'Oh what's wrong with Neville.' Lily fretted, she was of her friends son, who was born only a day before her own.

**"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"**

'That's toads for you.' Marlene said, pulling a face.

**"He'll turn up," said Harry.**

'Kind boy.' Dorea murmured.

**"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..." He left.**

**"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

**"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."**

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

**"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway."**

'That isn't good.' Charlus said. 'It won't work properly for him.'

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toad-less boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

**"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

'Another good description.' James laughed.

**"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

'A know it all.' Gideon murmured to Fabian who chuckled.

**"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.**

**"Er - all right." He cleared his throat. "**_**Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow**_**."**

Everyone laughed.

'I bet he got that from the twins.' Gideon chortled.

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.**

**"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you." She said all this very fast.**

'Woah!' Marlene said out of breath, 'I don't think she even breathed.' Everyone laughed and Marlene continued to read.

**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.**

'She's just excited.' Lily said in defence, she too had read her course books over and over, but not as to memorise them, just to know all that she could.

**"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

**"Harry Potter," said Harry.**

**"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."**

'I wouldn't want to read about myself.' A few muttered.

**"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.**

**"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."**

**And she left, taking the toad-less boy with her.**

**"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.**

'Ron!' Lily said, causing James to laugh.

**He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."**

'I bet he did.' Fabian said, grinning cockily.

**"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.**

**"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."**

All the wizards shivered, but otherwise didn't say anything.

**"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

**"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

**"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

'All kinds of things.' Charlus muttered.

**"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.**

'Wow-'

'They both must be clever.' The twins murmured to each other, in awe of their nephews.

**"Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."**

'What?' Everyone gasped. That was unheard of.

**Harry stared. "Really? What happened to them?"**

**"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."**

'Hmm.'

**Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You- Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.**

Everyone frowned at this, people shouldn't be afraid of a name.

**"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

**"Er - I don't know any," Harry confessed.**

**"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toad-less boy, or Hermione Granger this time.**

'Oh who is it?' Lily fretted, she didn't want her son to get into any trouble and that introduction didn't sound too promising.

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

**"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"**

'A Malfoy.' James muttered in disgust, it had to be.

**"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

'Crabbe and Goyle's son's no doubt.' Fabian murmured, he knew that they were friendly with the Malfoys.

**"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."**

'Knew it.' James and the twins muttered in disgust.

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

**"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."**

'Hey!' Everyone muttered angrily.

**He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it. **

'Good boy.' James said proudly.

**"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.**

'His father's temper.' Lily muttered.

'His mother's observation.' James said at the same time, they both grinned at each other.

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

**"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."**

'Little git.' Michael muttered angrily.

**Both Harry and Ron stood up. "Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

**"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

**"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.**

'Gryffindor.' Dorea laughed.

**"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."**

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

**"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail. "I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep -" And so he had.**

Everyone laughed at the rat, though James a little less enthusiastically than others. He had a weird feeling about that rat, but didn't say anything. He could be just be little suspicious because of Peter, he thought sadly.

**"You've met Malfoy before?"**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

**"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

**"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"**

'Busy body.' Michael muttered causing Lily and Rose to glower, they had a feeling this girl would be a friend of both boys eventually.

**"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"**

**"All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"**

Everyone laughed.

'Poor Ron.' Gideon laughed.

**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.**

**He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his trainers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."**

**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

'They'll be there soon!' Lily said in excitement and everyone sat up a little straighter, eager.

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"**

'Hagrid!' Everyone exclaimed cheerfully.

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

**"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."**

Everyone sat up again in anticipation.

**There was a loud "Oooooh!"**

**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

All the wizards and witches smiled fondly whilst Rose and Michael looked awed.

**"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

'Wow.' Michael said in awe, the magical folk laughed lightly.

**"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

**"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

'Thank goodness he got it back.' Dorea said, she felt sorry for the round faced child; she was still worried about what had happened to his poor parents.

**"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.**

**"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

'That's the end!' Marlene said.

'Well someone else read!' Lily said excitedly.

'I will.' James said, he was excited to read about his son's sorting.

* * *

**Another chapter for you my lovely's, I am sorry it's a few days late but i've had a busy few days. Thank you for the reviews and story and author alerts and favorites, they make my day. I'm hoping that the story is progressing quickly for you, for the first couple of books there is just going to be these few characters. I did consider bringing in more that died in the order, but I'm not sure yet. I was also thinking of bringing in Frank and Alice, though they aren't dead I was considering bring their 'minds' into the afterlife as they are lost inside of their own heads, but I don't know yet because there might be too many complications with the timing that may confuse everyone, so I'm going to think about it. **

******I might not update this story again for a couple of days, but you never can be sure, I don't plan my days (which my boyfriend constantly moans about because he plans _everything_ that he does, whereas I sort of just go with it, I hate planning stuff. I'm going to put an update onto my other story Wishing Upon a Dog Star, which is a time-travel AU fic set in the Maurauder era, so if you're interested then check that out. **

**Enjoy and please review. **

**Forevertruex**


	8. The Sorting Hat

**CHAPTER SEVEN - THE SORTING HAT**

'Chapter seven- the sorting hat,' Marlene read in her cheery voice.

'I bet he's a Gryffindor!' James and the twins said at once, nobody disagreed with them, they were sure that Harry would be a Gryffindor as well.

Marlene continued to read.

**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.**

'Defiantly not,' James, Fabian and Gideon grinned.

'Say's a bunch of trouble-makers,' Dorea said, causing everyone to laugh and the other three to pout.

**"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.**

**"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. **

'Wow, it must be huge!' Michael said in wonder. All the witches and wizards nodded.

**The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.**

'Marble stairs!' Rose gasped, and again all the witches and wizards nodded.

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

'It's so strange the first time you're there,' Lily muttered. Coming from a muggle family she had no idea what to expect, and was amazed by the castle.

**"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.**

'Gryffindor common room is lovely,' Marlene said in remembrance, grinning broadly.

**"The four houses are called Gryffindor, **

'Woo!' all of the witches and wizards cheered, whilst Rose and Michael grinned.

**Hufflepuff, **

'Good ol' puffs,' Charlus said happily.

**Ravenclaw,**

'Geeks,' Gideon coughed, causing everyone to laugh.

**and Slytherin.**

'Booo!' James and the twins said together.

**Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points.**

'James knows all about that one,' Lily said to her husband, her green eyes twinkling merrily.

**At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.**

**"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

'And now everyone adjusts their ties and cloaks...' Fabian said, in a mock mysterious voice.

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.**

'Not going to work,' everyone muttered looking at James hair. He automatically lifted his hand and tried to flatten his own, causing everyone to laugh.

**"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."**

**She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.**

**"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.**

**"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."**

'He was dear,' Dorea said kindly, forgetting that Ron wasn't actually there.

**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet - what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived.**

**He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.**

Lily laughed at this, she had done that as well.

**Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue.**

James burst out laughing, 'Good boy!'

**He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.**

'He's a little dramatic...' Gideon said laughing.

'He's just nervous and a child,' Lily defended.

**Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air - several people behind him screamed.**

'What is it?' Rose fretted.

**"What the -?"**

**He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. **

'Ghosts?' Michael chocked. 'You went to school with ghosts?'

Rose shuddered delicately as everyone nodded.

**Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"**

**"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?"**

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.**

'Wow.' Michael murmured, completely in awe.

**Nobody answered.**

**"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"**

**A few people nodded mutely.**

**"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."**

**"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

'McG!' James exclaimed happily.

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

Rose shuddered again.

**"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting.**

'Oh wow,' Rose and Michael said together, whilst everybody else just beamed in memory.

**These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.**

**Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.**

**The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."**

'It sounds so beautiful,' Rose muttered.

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens. Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat.**

'What's that about?' Michael asked, utterly perplexed.

**This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.**

**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, **

'Bless him,' Lily laughed.

**-that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat; he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:**

**"**_**Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.**_

'Modest as always,' Charlus muttered to Dorea.

_**You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.**_

_**There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.**_

_**You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;**_

'GO GO GRYFFINDOR!' James and the Prewett's shouted happily.

_**You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;**_

_**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;**_

_**Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.**_

'Hisssssss,' the twins said, laughing whilst doing it.

_**So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!**_**"**

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

'How extraordinary!' Rose exclaimed, laughing whilst Michael looked bemused.

**"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."**

Everyone laughed at this.

**Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. **

'But you are son, you'll be fine.' James comforted.

**If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.**

More laughter followed these words.

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.**

**"Abbott, Hannah!"**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down.**

'Hufflepuff,' Lily stated.

**A moment's pause - "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.**

'Hah!' she said, causing her husband to laugh at her smug face.

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

**"Bones, Susan!"**

'Another Puff,' Charlus said knowingly, he knew her aunt Amelia.

**"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

**"Boot, Terry!"**

**"RAVENCLAW!"**

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

**"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too,**

**but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.**

'Those twins are going to be so much fun to read about,' Fabian said to Gideon, who nodded.

**"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.**

'She sounds like a bloody Slytherin,' James muttered darkly.

'You can tell that from a name James?' Lily asked incredulously, he just shrugged and she rolled her eyes at him.

**Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot. **

Everyone laughed.

'He has a fantastic imagination,' James said. 'A real witty brain,'

**He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school.**

**He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.**

'That's just awful,' Dorea said sadly.

**"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"**

**"HUFFLEPUFF!"**

**Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

**"Granger, Hermione!"**

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

'Ravenclaw,' James said.

'Gryffindor,' Lily corrected.

**"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.**

'Told you,' Lily said triumphantly, sticking her tongue out to her husband.

**A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all?**

'That won't happen dear, I don't think that's ever happened...' Dorea said sympathetically.

**What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?**

**When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. **

'Poor boy, I bet he's debating with the hat about what house he should be in.' Charlus laughed.

**When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."**

Everyone laughed.

**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"**

'Typical,' James muttered.

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

**There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"**

'oooh!' Lily said excitedly as everyone sat up straighter.

**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.**

'Hmm.' James hummed.

**"Potter, did she say?"**

"**The Harry Potter?"**

'Leave him alone, he isn't an animal at the zoo!' Lily said angrily.

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.**

"**Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes**

'Of course there is!' James and Lily said together. They already could see that their son would be talented.

**- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... **

'He doesn't need to prove himself.' Rose whispered.

**So where shall I put you?"**

**Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought,**_**Not Slytherin, not Slytherin**_**.**

'That's my boy!' James boomed causing everyone to jump and Lily to 'tchhh.' At him.

'Honestly Jamie, it doesn't matter where he is put.'

**"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!"**

Cheers erupted in the little field, nobody paying much heed to Harry nearly being put in Slytherin.

'Knew he'd be a Gryffindor!' James shouted joyously.

'He chose it, that what makes him different from Slytherin,' Dorea murmured to herself, she was proud her grandson was a Gryffindor but it wouldn't have made a difference to her what house he was in.

**Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. **

'Typical,' Gideon laughed.

**Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" **

'Those twins,' Dorea said shaking her head but laughing with the rest.

**Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.**

'I hate it when they do that,' Marlene shuddered delicately.

**He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train.**

'Go Dumbledore!' The twins and James shouted, erupting in laughed again.

**Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.**

'Hmmm...' Charlus and Dorea said together but didn't comment. He seemed a little suspicious to them.

**And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table.**

**"Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw** **and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table**

'Such a sweet boy!' Rose gushed, causing Michael to laugh.

**-and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"**

'YES!' Everyone shouted again.

Lily and James looked at each other, both of their eyes brimming with tears. If they weren't mistaken then their son had just found his best friend. James wrapped an arm around Lily and kissed her forehead sweetly.

**Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.**

**"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin.**

**Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

**Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.**

'I was always starving at the feast to,' James said to the book.

'You weren't as bad as Sirius,' Lily said with a disgusted expression on his face.

'Yeah, as soon as the food would appear he'd cleared half of what was in front of him on to the plate.' Marlene said, mirroring Lily's disgust as they remembered those days.

'And he wonders why it took so long for you to warm up to him, ay Marlene?' James said nudging his best friend's girlfriend in the ribs.

She nodded and smiled a little sadly at James, she really missed Sirius and was worried about what had happened to him. Why wasn't he in these books? She sighed heavily before continuing to read.

**Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.**

'Nothing does,' Charlus commented.

'He loves his students,' Dorea said, nodding with her husband.

**"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"**

'What an odd man!' Rose commented whilst her husband roared with laughter.

'Odd? He's brilliant!' James told his mother-in-law.

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

'Laugh,' Gideon and Fabian said together.

**"Is he - a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.**

'He's a genius!' James laughed.

**"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"**

**Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.**

'I miss food,' Gideon and Fabian sighed together.

'What!' James said, his mouth agape. 'We don't eat here?'

'No Jamie,' His mother told him, laughing lightly at his expression. 'We're dead, we don't exactly need sustenance.'

James looked at his mother incredulously; he would never eat food again? This was hell!

Lily laughed at her husband and then kissed him on the cheek.

'At least you don't have to try and eat the food I cook anymore,' she murmured into his ear and he grinned sheepishly at her.

'Yeah, you are a terrible cook Lil,' he commented and then laughed before gesturing for Marlene to continue.

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked.**

Everyone's expressions hardened again at the mention of _that _family.

**Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.**

**"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak,**

**"Can't you -?"**

"**I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."**

'Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington?' Michael scoffed, whilst everyone laughed.

'Yeah, we just call him nearly-headless Nick,' James said. His father in law looked at him in confusion but he just smiled mysteriously and gestured for Marlene to continue.

**"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"**

**"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.**

**"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.**

**"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, **

'That's disgusting,' Rose said shuddering whilst understanding dawned on Michael's expression and he chuckled nervously.

**"So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! **

'Six years?' James gasped, along with the Prewett's.

**The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."**

**Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. **

'I always wondered how that got there,' Lily mused quietly.

**He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.**

**"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

**"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.**

Everyone laughed, how could a ghost be afraid of another ghost?

**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding - "**

**As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.**

James and Lily frowned but didn't comment.

**"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."**

'That doesn't sound like a good idea,' Rose commented.

'It's not,' Dorea told her. 'Most Muggles don't like it and the marriages can turn quite bad, not all though.'

**The others laughed.**

**"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.**

**"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, **

Everyone frowned at this.

'What happened to Alice and Frank?' Lily asked, feeling awful. Nobody had an answer for her.

**"but the family thought I was all- Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned**

'That's awful! They can't treat a child like that!' Rose huffed.

– **but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see.**

'Poor boy,' Dorea murmured. 'He's going to have real confidence problems.'

**Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."**

**On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, **

'Woo!' James said, he loved Transfiguration.

**-you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - ").**

**Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.**

'No!' James and Lily gasped together, everyone else looked confused.

'It can't be,' Lily said, feeling unsure.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.**

'What's that about?' Everyone asked, fretting slightly, though James still looked aghast, he really hoped the 'hook-nosed teacher' wasn't who he thought it was.

**"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

**"What is it?" asked Percy.**

**"N-nothing."**

**The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look - a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.**

Everyone looked at each other with worried expressions. What was going on?

**"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.**

**"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. **

Marlene dropped the book and there was a resounding silence that filled the field.

'Snape? Did he say Snape, Marlene dear? As in Severus Snape, your friend Lily?' she asked looking confused as all of the youngsters looked at each other in shock.

'Yeah... he's the only Snape...' Lily said in a shaky voice, she wasn't sure how she felt about this.

'Has Dumbledore completely lost his mind?' James fumed, angry that his suspicions had been confirmed. 'He was a death eater!' he said and Lily gasped, looking at James with tears in her eyes.

'Stop it James, you didn't know that for sure.' She told him, though not very confidently.

'He was Lily,' Gideon told her in a serious voice. 'He was there when they came for me and Fabian...' he told her and she started to cry.

'I always thought... but I never... oh what has Dumbledore done?' Lily said, crying.

The four parents looked at the youngsters slightly perplexed.

'Hang on,' Michael started. 'Severus, your friend was a death eater?' he asked his daughter.

'Yes,' she whispered.

'But he was such a sweet little boy!' Rose said, 'we felt sorry for him, he ate with us, he was head over heels for you Lil, anyone could see that.' James gritted his teeth but didn't comment, that was why he didn't like Snape in the first place. 'Why would he want to kill people like us? Like you?'

'He craved power,' James said. 'This won't be good for Harry, especially with how I treated him at school, he's going to be a git.'

Everyone sat in shock for a while and Marlene decided to pick up the book and read again to try and lighten the mood.

**He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."**

Nobody commented at that, but dark looks came across everyone's faces.

**Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.**

**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

**"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils.**

'Make sure you take heed to that Harry James,' Lily warned her son who wasn't there and James laughed remembering his escapades into the forest.

**And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."**

'Those twins no doubt,' Rose said shaking her head.

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.**

'Knew it,' Rose grumbled.

**"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.**

'No one pays attention to that though,' Fabian laughed.

**"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.**

'She must be new,' Marlene commented.

**"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."**

'That's new,' Fabian said, excitement creeping into his voice.

'Very painful death?' Rose fretted.

**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.**

**"He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.**

**"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."**

'He doesn't tell them everything, you prat,' Fabian muttered, he was becoming less fond of his nephew. He seemed so different from the rest of the family.

**"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.**

'On no,' Dorea said, whilst all the witches and wizards laughed.

'What is it?' Michael asked, intrigued.

'You'll see,' she said, putting her head into her hands, much to the amusement of her husband.

**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.**

**"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"**

**And the school bellowed:**

_**Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
Teach us something please,  
Whether we be old and bald  
Or young with scabby knees,  
Our heads could do with filling  
With some interesting stuff,  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
Dead flies and bits of fluff,  
So teach us things worth knowing,  
Bring back what we've forgot,  
just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
And learn until our brains all rot.**_

There was silence from Michael and Rose and then they burst into laughter.

'That's the school song?' Rose asked incredulously.

'That's hilarious!' Michael said at the same time.

**Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.**

'Of course,' Fabian and Gideon grinned.

**Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"**

**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.**

'Poor fawn,' Lily murmured.

**A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid-air ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.**

'Peeves!' James grinned.

**"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

'Another prankster?' Michael asked and everyone nodded.

**"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"**

**There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

**"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

**"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.**

'Spoil sport,' Gideon and Fabian laughed.

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head.**

'Poor Neville,' Dorea said.

**They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.**

**"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."**

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.**

**"Password?" she said.**

**"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs.**

All the witches and wizards sighed longingly, all having been in Gryffindor themselves.

**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.**

'Bless them,' James smirked. 'I think me and Sirius stayed up most of the night, talking.'

**"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."**

**Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.**

'Awwh.' Lily cooed whilst James shook his head.

**Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully - and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it -then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold - there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.**

'That was the strangest dream..' Gideon commented and nobody answered but merely looked between each other, concern showing on each face.

**He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.**

'That's the end!' Marlene said chirpily.

'I'll read next,' Lily said, taking the book from her friend.

* * *

**Hello my lovely's! I know it's been a few days again but you'll have to forgive me, monday I went to a gig and I have literally been dying ever since, blame the crappy immune system that doesn't want to get rid of a cold. I can barely speak and coughing fits are constant so I haven't been sleeping either. Please accept my apologies but I do have another chapter for you here for you!**

**I might do the next tonight and try and get it up, but if I don't it'll be up tomorrow/friday, I promise! I hope you're all enjoying the story. Thanking all those who have reviewed and added to the favorites/alert lists, it always makes me so happy. **

**If you like this story, then check out my other _Wishing upon a dog star_ and tell me what you think of that one too!**

**Anyway, please REVIEW and enjoy. **

**Forevertruex**


	9. The Potions Master

**CHAPTER EIGHT - THE POTIONS MASTER**

Lily's eyes widened when she saw the chapter of the title and you could hear the distaste and anger in her voice as she spoke, 'Chapter eight, the potions master.'

'Oh great,' James groaned, rolling his eyes.

'Just what I wanted to hear about- that greasy git,' Marlene said, she had really disliked Snape when they were at school and couldn't understand Lily's friendship with him.

"**There, look."**

**"Where?"**

**"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."**

**"Wearing the glasses?"**

**"Did you see his face?"**

**"Did you see his scar?"**

'There is no need to point and whisper around him, poor lamb must be so nervous!' Rose fretted indignantly.

'He's going to get it his whole life no doubt,' Charlus said sadly and everyone frowned.

**Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. **

'That sucks,' Gideon said quietly to Fabian. 'Imagine having to put up with that on your first day when you're nervous enough?' Fabian nodded with his brother, he too felt sorry for the young lad.

**Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.**

Everyone's frowns deepened.

**There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts:**

'Woah, how does he know that?' James said shocked.

'I assume it's just written that way to add a little description to the story Jamie,' Lily told him.

**-wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending.**

'That sounds a little daunting,' Rose said.

'Why do they do those things?' Michael asked, he had never heard of a more magical place.

'No one knows. The castle has been there for thousands of years and when the founders moved in I guess more magic was put into the place,' Dorea told him.

**It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armour could walk.**

'They can,' James told his son.

**The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open.**

Marlene and Lily shuddered delicately, that always happened to them.

**Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindor's in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. **

'Good ol' Peeves,' James and the twins grinned.

**He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"**

'He still does that?' James laughed.

**Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning.**

'Only _your_ son,' Lily muttered.

'So he's _my_ son when he gets into trouble?' James asked in amusement, to which Lily simply answered with a grin and a 'Yes.'

**Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor.**

James and the Prewett twins laughed loudly at this.

**He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.**

'He can't lock them in the dungeons! Can he?' Rose asked outraged.

'No, Filch just likes to think we can be. Those punishments were lifted from the school years ago,' Charlus told her.

**Filch owned a cat called Mrs Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later.**

'I hate that cat,' Marlene muttered to Lily, who nodded vigorously.

**Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone**

'No he doesn't,' James told the book and everyone laughed.

**(except perhaps the Weasley twins) **

'I bet!' Gideon and Fabian said together grinning.

**-and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs Norris a good kick.**

'What I wouldn't give,' a few of the witches and wizards present muttered.

**And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.**

'That would be cool,' Marlene said and Lily frowned at her.

'You're so lazy Marl,' she muttered to her friend.

**They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, **

'She's still there, wonderful!' Lily said, she was fond of her Herbology teacher.

**-where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.**

**Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. **

'Really?' Rose asked in shock.

'Yep, he is the single _most _boring thing on the planet!' Fabian told her.

**Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.**

**Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. **

Lily smiled at this.

**At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.**

Everyone laughed.

**Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.**

'Typical,' James grinned.

**"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."**

'And yet we used to mess around all the time,' James said laughing.

'You were the best Transfiguration student in our year Jamie,' Lily said, 'She wasn't about to kick you out!' he blushed and then motioned for his wife to continue.

**Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.**

**After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.**

'She must be clever,' Marlene said shocked, she hadn't been able to do it the first time.

'I guess Harry didn't get my talent in Transfiguration then,' James mused, slightly put out.

**The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story.**

**For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather;** **for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.**

'hmm,' Charlus and Dorea said together. They both thought this was a bit odd, especially of a Defence professor. What was going on?

**Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.**

'That's good,' Rose said happily.

**Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.**

'Well done!' Lily enthused causing her husband to laugh.

**"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.**

**"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours them - we'll be able to see if it's true."**

'Great,' everyone moaned.

**"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.**

**Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.**

Lily and James frowned, they should be able to send letters to their son.

**Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls.**

**This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:**

'Must be Hagrid,' James grinned.

_**Dear Harry,  
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?  
I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.  
Hagrid.**_

'That is so kind!' Lily said happily, she was pleased her son had someone to talk to.

**Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled**_**Yes, please, see you later**_**on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.**

'Good boy,' Charlus said, he too was pleased that his Grandson had someone to be there for him.

**It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.**

James grumbled incoherently and everyone else sat up straighter, frowning slightly.

**At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry**,** he hated him.**

'Bloody git!' James fumed and nobody argued.

'Oh Severus,' Lily whimpered.

**Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.**

**Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name. "Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."**

'Git.' A few muttered together.

**Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.**

Lily shivered at this. She used to see at least some happiness in his eyes, what had happened to make him so cold?

**"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of Potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. **

'Cause they're probably all terrified of him!' Marlene fumed.

**"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."**

'He can't talk about students that way!' Dorea said in disgust.

**More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.**

'Of course,' said Lily grinning at the girls behaviour.

**"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"**

'The Draught of the Living Dead,' Lily answered immediately and then frowned angrily, 'that is not a first year question Severus!' she growled.

**Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.**

'What?' Dorea asked incredulously, how could the girl know that already?

**"I don't know, sir," said Harry.**

**Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."**

**He ignored Hermione's hand.**

**"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"**

'In the stomach of a goat,' Lily answered, though her voice was laced with anger. He had no right to treat her son this way! James was also fuming with anger and had gone back to muttering under his breath.

**Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.**

'Gits,' Gideon and Fabian said together.

**"I don't know, sir."**

**"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?**

'I reckon he would have been shocked if you did know the answers, the git is setting him up to fail!' Marlene fumed.

**Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"**

'That's a trick question! They're the same thing!' James said angrily.

**At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.**

'She's eager,' Michael laughed.

**"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"**

James burst out laughing.

'He defiantly has you cheek Lil,' She blushed slightly but then grinned proudly, she was glad her son wasn't taking this lying down, even though he could get into trouble.

**A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus** **winked.**

**Snape, however, was not pleased. **

'Good,' Everyone muttered.

**"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"**

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."**

'At least it's only one point,' James said shrugging, he expected detention at least.

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like.**

'He would like the son of a fellow Death Eater,' James growled.

**He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes.**

'Brilliant!' The twins chortled.

**Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.**

**"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, **

'There is no need for that!' Lily said angrily.

'How dare he speak to students that way?' Dorea muttered furiously.

**-clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"**

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.**

**"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.**

'Oh give it a rest!' James shouted in fury, he was sick of hearing about Snape's treatment of his son.

**"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."**

'That is completely unfair!' The twins said together, disgusted by this behaviour.

**This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.**

**"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."**

'Yeah he can,' James and the two twins muttered.

**As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week - why did Snape hate him so much?**

'Because of me,' James and Lily said together and then looked at each other.

'It wasn't you Lily. It was my entire fault,' she opened her mouth to protest but he put his finger to her lips. 'I bullied him and picked a fight with him whenever I could. I made him angry enough to shout at you calling you that disgusting word and then you fell in love with me. I understand why he hates me and I except it fully.'

Lily's eyes brimmed with tears and she wrapped her arms around her husband. This was why she loved James, though he was an arrogant toerag when he was younger, he still had the ability to apologise and feel guilt for the wrongs he caused.

'He should be adult enough to not take his pathetic childhood grudge out on a innocent child though!' Marlene said, her eyes flashing.

**"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"**

'That's nice,' Dorea said.

**At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.**

**When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang - back."**

'Fang?' Rose fretted.

'I wouldn't worry mum,' Lily laughed. 'Hagrid generally mis-matches the names of his animals. Something fearful he would call 'Bert' and something cowardly he'd call 'Fang'.' All the wizards and witches laughed, knowing this to be true.

**Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.**

**"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."**

**He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.**

**There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.**

**"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.**

'Told you,' Lily said smugly. 'It's the normal or cute-sounding names you have to watch out for,'

**"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.**

**"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."**

Everyone laughed at this, they could see that to be true.

**The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. **

Everyone laughed again.

'Those boys are so kind,' Dorea commented.

**Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.**

**Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git."**

**"An' as fer that cat, Mrs Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it."**

'No doubt,' Marlene said bitterly, she really disliked that cat.

**Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.**

**"But he seemed to really hate me."**

**"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"**

'Hagrid knows why,' James laughed.

**Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.**

Everyone laughed; Hagrid was no good at lying.

**"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot - great with animals."**

'Subtle change of subject there,' The twins laughed.

**Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:**

_**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**_

'What?' Everyone gasped, that was unheard of!

_**Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, **_

'That's the day Harry was there,' Lily commented, frowning slightly.

_**-widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**_

'The vault they went to, maybe?' James asked in a wondering tone.

_**"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes-goblin this afternoon.**_

Everyone laughed at the goblins reaction.

**Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.**

**"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"**

'He's putting it together?' Dorea asked incredulously, her grandson seemed quite intelligent.

**There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. **

'It was defiantly that vault then,' James commented.

**He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?**

'Clever boy, he has a quick mind,' Charlus commented proudly.

**As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, **

Lily smiled at this.

**-Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?**

'Asks a lot of questions doesn't he?' Fabian laughed.

'He's just curious!' Lily defended. 'The chapter is done, who wants to read next?'

'I will,' James said.

* * *

**Hello all!**

**The next chapter just as I promised last night, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far and I want to thank you all again for the reviews and favorite/alerts. I need more reviews though! I love when I get them, so please, if you're still reading REVIEW! Thank you to _Loves to read books_, for wishing me well, I'm feeling a lot better today and _ColourMyStarsYellow13 _for reviewing last night!**

**Read, enjoy, review. **

**Forevertruex**


	10. The Midnight Duel

**CHAPTER NINE - THE MIDNIGHT DUEL**

James took the book from Lily and a large smile spread on his face. 'Excellent,' he grinned. 'Chapter nine – the midnight duel!'

Fabian and Gideon looked at each other with identical mischievous grins on their faces and high fived.

'What do you mean 'the midnight duel'?' Lily demanded of her husband. 'He isn't old enough to duel!'

James shrugged at Lily, trying to keep the grin off his face as hers became sterner.

'Come on Lil, with a father like me and a mother like you, he's bound to be a little mischievous.' James said, winking at his wife.

Lily just glared at her husband. 'Read James, I want to know what happened.'

James didn't need telling twice and everyone laughed at the panicked expression in his face as he began to read.

**Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.**

'Eurgh, more about that awful child.' Dorea groaned.

**Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, **

'That's still one lesson too much,' Gideon muttered.

**-so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much.**

'I bet that's who he is going to duel with!' Marlene said, she too was exited and amused by her godson.

'But he won't know enough to win!' Dorea fretted.

'He'll be fine,' Charlus assured her in a comforting tone. 'Neither of them will be able to do more than throw sparks at each other.

**Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan.**

'Flying lessons I bet,' James said and Lily quirked an eyebrow at him, 'It made me groan when I realised we had to fly for the first time with the Slytherins!' he defended.

'James, you were boasting that you would fly better than everyone there, you weren't bothered,' Lily told her husband with an amused laugh. His cheeks reddened slightly and he chose to read on instead of answering her.

**Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.**

'At least we'll see his first flying lesson!' Charlus said, happily.

**"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy." He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.**

'He won't make a fool of himself,' James said confidently.

'I bet he shows him up,' Michael said, he remembered Lily saying how good of a flier that James was.

**"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."**

**Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams **

'They should get rid of that rule,' James huffed.

'Honestly James, you got on the team as soon as you went to tryouts in the second year!' Lily laughed at her husband.

'I don't think a first year would be good enough for the team anyway,' Charlus told his son in a placating tone.

**-and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.**

'Sure,' Marlene said rolling her eyes as the boy's behaviour.

'What would happen if that was true?' Rose asked curiously.

'It would have been a breach to the Statue of Secrecy and he would have got a warning,' Charlus told her.

**He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom.**

**Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly.**

'Because it's the best sport in the world!' All of the wizards and witches said together, causing Michael and Rose to laugh.

**Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about football. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham football team, trying to make the players move.**

**Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.**

'Harry!' Lily admonished.

'C'mon Lil,' James said, 'You know how clumsy Alice was, her kid seems a little accident prone too.'

Lily frowned at this but didn't comment.

**Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. **

'Yeah, it's not something you can learn out of a book,' James snorted.

**This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book-**

Everyone laughed at the similarity in the comments.

**- not that she hadn't tried. **

'Typical,' Lily laughed.

**At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages.**

'That doesn't teach you how to fly though!' James scoffed.

'I loved that book,' Gideon grinned.

'You can read?' Fabian asked sarcastically, causing everyone to crack up with laughter, whilst Gideon pouted.

**Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.**

**Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.**

'Git,' everyone muttered.

**A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.**

'A remembrall,' Lily said knowledgeably with a grin.

'Those things are useless!' Marlene scoffed, 'They don't tell you what you've actually forgotten, so how do they help?'

**"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things – this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red - oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "You've forgotten something..."**

'See?' Marlene laughed.

**Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.**

'Leave him alone!' Lily and Marlene said angrily.

**Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.**

'Good,' Dorea said. She didn't like the Malfoy boy one bit, he needed putting in his place.

**"What's going on?"**

**"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."**

**Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. "Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.**

'Sure, and Wrackspurt's are real!' James scoffed.

'What's a Wrackspurt?' Lily asked confused.

'No idea, I remember ol' Xeno Lovegood talking about them one day when I was in my first year and he was a few years above. Nutter if I ever met one.' James said causing everyone who knew Xenophillus to laugh.

**At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.**

**The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.**

'Gah,' James, Marlene and the Prewett twins groaned, they had all played on the school team in their time and hated having to practice on the school brooms.

**Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.**

'Cool,' Gideon enthused.

**"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."**

**Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.**

James grimaced slightly.

**"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!"'**

**"UP!" everyone shouted.**

**Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once,** **but it was one of the few that did. **

'Course it did! You're a Potter, its natural!' James and Charlus said together, causing their wives to laugh.

**Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.**

'That makes sense actually,' Dorea commented. 'He has quite the mind.'

**Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.**

Everyone laughed at this.

**"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle – three - two -"**

**But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.**

'Oh no,' Rose fretted. She didn't like the sound of children on flying pieces of wood, especially not this accident prone boy.

**"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and - WHAM -** **a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap.**

'Oh dear. Alice's first try went about the same' Lily said laughing. 'Without the broken bones.' She added as an afterthought and Marlene and James nodded and laughed.

**His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.**

**Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his. "Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get.".**

**She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."**

**Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.**

**No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"**

'Shut up!' Everyone shouted angrily.

**The other Slytherins joined in.**

**"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.**

**"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."**

'Oh great, another horrible Slytherin.' Rose commented, causing everyone to laugh loudly.

**"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."**

**The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.**

**"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.**

'I can see where this is going,' Dorea said in a knowing voice.

'I can see James stupidity, and Lily's determination to protect her friends, kicking in,' Marlene said quietly to Dorea, who nodded.

**Malfoy smiled nastily. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"**

'Don't be so awful boy!' Michael said angrily, he really hated bullies.

**"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off.**

**He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"**

**Harry grabbed his broom.**

'No!' Lily shouted.

'Yes!' James and the twins said at the same time and Lily hit her husband on the back of the head.

'It's not a good thing, idiot, he could hurt himself!'

'He won't,' James told her confidently.

**"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble."**

'He has a good enough reason and Malfoy will get into trouble too!' Gideon said with a grin.

**Harry ignored her.**

'NO!' Lily moaned, covering her face with her hands. She was worried her baby would get hurt.

**Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him -and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught - this was easy, this was wonderful. **

Lily lifted her head of her hands quickly as James read that. 'He's ok,' she breathed happily and James grinned at her with an 'I told you so' expression on his face.

**He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.**

**He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in mid-air. Malfoy looked stunned.**

'Ha! He doesn't expect him to be able to fly!' Gideon laughed.

'Knock him off his broom!' Fabian said happily.

**"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"**

'DO IT!' The Prewett's said together.

**"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.**

**Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.**

'He's a natural!' Michael commented.

**"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.**

**The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.**

**"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.**

'Oh no,' Rose said, she had the feeling that her grandson would get caught now.

**Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down - next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching - he stretched out his hand - a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.**

Everyone sat in a stunned silence and James quickly scanned what he had read again.

'How- how can he be _that _good?' He chocked out.

'He's clearly a natural,' Lily said sarcastically to her husband, but she too was beaming with pride.

'But he's a first year!'Gideon and Fabian said together in shock.

'He might actually be better than you James,' Marlene said laughing.

'He will defiantly get on the team in his second year!' James said with a grin before reading again.

**"HARRY POTTER!"**

**His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.**

'Oh dear,' Rose said.

'Don't give him a detention McG!' Gideon and Fabian said together.

**"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -"**

**Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "- how dare you - might have broken your neck -"**

**"It wasn't his fault, Professor -"**

**"Be quiet, Miss Patil**

**"But Malfoy -"**

**"That's enough, Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."**

'She should listen to them.' Lily said frowning, she didn't want her son to get into trouble.

**Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it.**

'You won't son,' James said proudly, he knew that Professor McGonagall wouldn't expel someone for that, especially when he was that good, he thought smugly.

**He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?**

**Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.**

Everyone laughed at Harry's overly negative thoughts.

'He really thinks lowly of himself,' Lily said sadly, but with a trace of anger in her voice. This is Petunia's fault, she thought.

**Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside. "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"**

'What's wood?' Michael asked perplexed and everyone shrugged, all confused as to what 'wood' was as well.

**Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?**

'No!' Every witch and wizard answered, they were sure of that.

**But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.**

'What?' Everyone asked, James shrugged and carried on reading.

**"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry. "In here."**

**Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.**

**"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.**

**"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker."**

There was a shocked silence.

'WHAT!' James and the Prewett's yelled together.

'She made him SEEKER!' Lily said, her eyes brimming with proud tears.

'HE'S ON THE HOUSE TEAM IN FIRST YEAR!' James said, standing up and jumping up and down like a child. 'MY SON! _MY SON_!' he shouted again and again, making everyone laugh.

'I'm so proud of him,' Lily gushed.

'It's fantastic news,' Marlene said happily.

All the parents grinned, although Rose and Michael weren't exactly sure what it meant they were sure it was a good thing.

James calmed down after a bit and sat down with a huge grin on his face, he was so proud of his son. He picked up the book again and continued to read, excitement still present in his tone.

**Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.**

**"Are you serious, Professor?"**

**"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"**

'You bet it was!' The Prewett's said together.

**Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.**

**"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."**

'That seems like high praise,' James said.

**Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.**

**"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.**

'No,' James said a little sadly, he should have been able to take his son to Quidditch matches.

**"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.**

**"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light - speedy - we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."**

'Must be the latest brooms,' Charlus commented.

"**I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."**

'I don't blame her-' Gideon started.

'-I wouldn't look into his face either.' Fabian finished, laughing with his brother.

**Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry. "I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."**

**Then she suddenly smiled. "Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."**

James beamed at that, he was really fond of McGonagall and although he was a troublemaker at school she always had a soft spot for him.

'He was more than excellent,' Gideon said.

'We won all our games with him as a chaser,' Fabian agreed and James smiled at them.

**"You're joking."**

**It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.**

**"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never - you must be the youngest house player -"**

"**-in about a century," said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."**

**Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.**

All the witches and wizards could understand Ron's amazement, it was an excellent feat to be on the team in the first year.

**"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."**

'It'll be all over the school in a day,' Marlene laughed.

'Yeah, there are no secrets at Hogwarts,' Lily said.

**Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.**

**"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters."**

'I bet they're excellent,' James said.

**"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."**

**"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."**

**"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."**

'First week?' James said shocked, it had taken Sirius and himself till the end of the first year to find a secret passageway out!

**Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.**

**"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"**

'He's really grating on my nerves,' Michael said in a clearly annoyed voice.

'It's going to be priceless when he finds out,' Fabian laughed.

**"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.**

**"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"**

'I knew it would be him,' Marlene groaned.

'He should say no!' Lily said, though not very confidently because of the chapter title.

'No way Lil!' James said aghast. 'They'll try and call him a coward and he sure as hell isn't a coward!'

'But he doesn't know any spells!' She fretted.

'He has fists,' James laughed.

**"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"**

**Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up. "Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."**

**When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other. "What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"**

**"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie.**

'Lot's of tact that one,' Michael muttered to Charlus.

'Yeah, it's really going to relax him,' Charlus whispered back and they both barked out laughter.

**Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."**

**"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"**

'Punch him,' James said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

**"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.**

**"Excuse me." **

'Hermione,' Lily said laughing.

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.**

'Told you,'

**"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.**

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry. "I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying -"**

**"Bet you could," Ron muttered.**

**"-and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

**"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.**

'Harry, don't be so rude!' Lily said in annoyed voice and James laughed.

**"Good-bye," said Ron.**

**All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."**

'Helpful,' Gideon snorted.

**There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness - this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.**

Dorea frowned, she had a feeling that this was a set up.

**"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go." They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."**

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.**

Everyone laughed.

'This girl is annoying,' James said and Lily raised her eyebrows at him.

'I think they're going to end up friends,' she commented and he laughed.

'No way Lil!' He told and she just looked at him, her face showing some sort of smug superiority.

'We'll see.'

**"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"**

**"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy - he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."**

**Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.**

'Harry!' Rose said, shaking her head at her grandson.

**"Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.**

**Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.**

'She's following them?' Gideon said incredulously. 'I wouldn't think she would risk getting into trouble.'

**"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."**

**"Go away."**

**"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -"**

**But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night-time visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.**

'Uhoh,' Michael said.

'She isn't going to like that,' Lily said.

**"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.**

'Don't follow people?' James suggested in an annoyed voice and Lily glared at him again.

**"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."**

**They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.**

**"I'm coming with you," she said.**

'Priceless,' Marlene chortled.

**"You are not."**

**"Do you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."**

'He wouldn't believe her!' Gideon scoffed.

**"You've got some nerve -" said Ron loudly.**

**"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."**

'He has good ears,' Charlus said approvingly.

**It was a sort of snuffling.**

**"Mrs Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.**

**It wasn't Mrs Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.**

'Poor boy,' Rose said sniffing a little.

**"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."**

**"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."**

**"How's your arm?" said Harry.**

'Kind boy,' Dorea said smiling.

**"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."**

**"Good - well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later -"**

**"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."**

'So now four of them are out of bed?' Marlene laughed. 'This isn't going to be good.'

**Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.**

**"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you." Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.**

**They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.**

'This doesn't seem good,' Dorea muttered. 'I have a feeling this is a set up.' She told the group and everyone's eyes narrowed.

**Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.**

'He's been set up,' Lily confirmed angrily. She couldn't believe that a child would do this.

**"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.**

**Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak -and it wasn't Malfoy.**

**"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."**

Everyone made noise of indigence at the Malfoy boy.

'This is low,' James said. 'Even for a Malfoy.'

**It was Filch speaking to Mrs Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.**

**"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."**

**"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour.**

**They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run -he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour. The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.**

**"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following - they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going - they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.**

'Good,' everyone breathed in relief.

**"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.**

"**I - told -you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I - told - you."**

'Not really the time dear,' Rose laughed.

**"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."**

**"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you - Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."**

**Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that.**

**"Let's go."**

**It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.**

**It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.**

'Crap,' James and the Prewett's muttered. 'This won't be good.

**"Shut up, Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out."**

**Peeves cackled.**

**"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."**

**"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."**

**"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."**

**"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.**

'Yeah, that's not good,' James said laughing. 'Sirius tried that once when were being chased by McGonagall, it's safe to say that she caught us and we got detention.'

Everyone laughed lightly at the story and James continued to read.

**"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"**

**Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door - and it was locked.**

**"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"**

'Not good,' Lily muttered.

**They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves' shouts.**

**"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, 'Alohomora'!"**

'Clever girl!' Dorea said.

'What would they have done without, ay James?' Lily said cockily to her husband, who the proceeded to pout like a child before reading.

**The lock clicked and the door swung open - they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.**

**"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."**

**"Say 'please'."**

**"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"**

**"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.**

**"All right -please."**

**"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.**

James and the Prewett's roared with laughter. 'Good one.'

**"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay - get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "What?"**

'What is it now?' Lily said in a faint voice.

**Harry turned around - and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare - this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.**

'What?' everyone asked now.

**They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.**

Everyone held their breath, what was it?

**They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.**

Everyone had gone very pale.

'What is a thing like that doing in a school!' Rose screeched wide eyed, nobody had an answer for her.

James continued to read in a fast, shaky voice. How would his son get out of this?

**It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.**

**Harry groped for the doorknob - between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.**

'You better Harry Potter!' Lily said loudly, her voice cracking with fear.

**They fell backward - Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared - all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.**

**"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.**

'Nowhere, just been to a fake duel, got chased by the care taker, tricked by a poltergeist and then almost eaten by a three headed dog!' Lily shrieked and James moved to put a consoling arm around his wife's shoulders before continuing to read.

**"Never mind that - pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.**

**It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.**

'Poor boy,' Rose said.

**"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."**

'That's a bloody good question!' Charlus and Michael said together.

**Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on."**

'They weren't really looking at its feet girl!' Gideon and Fabian said together.

**"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."**

Everyone laughed hollowly, now that the children were out of danger they could breathe easily again.

**"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."**

'The Philosopher's Stone.' Lily whispered and smacked a hand to her forehead. 'Of course!'

**She stood up, glaring at them. "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."**

'Really?' James and the twins laughed.

'I think she needs to sort out her priorities.' Dorea said, her eyes a little wide from the girl's comment.

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open.**

**"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."**

**But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something... What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide - except perhaps Hogwarts. It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.**

'And now he's going to want to know why!' Lily groaned.

'Great,' James said in a worried tone. 'We get to worry more now! The chapter is done, who wants to read next?'

'I will.' Gideon said, taking the book from James.

* * *

**Chapter ten my friends! I really am spoiling you today! Like I've said before though, I want to get this story out of the way asap because the first two bore me. There just isn't enough action! ;) Debating whether to bring in a few more character's, I'm getting bored of the ones i've got. I might bring in some more relatives or members of the OOTP who died in the first war, what do you think?**

**Thank you for the reviews that I've had from the last chapter, they've been quite constructive and of course they make me smile. There won't be another update tonight/this morning, but there will be one tomorrow/later on today hopefully!**

_**Read, enjoy and review. **_

**Forevertruex**


	11. Halloween

**CHAPTER TEN – HALLOWEEN**

Gideon took the book from James and grinned. 'Chapter ten – Halloween.' He said happily.

'Ooooh.' Marlene giggled, clapping her hands. 'I always loved Halloween at school.'

All of the witches and wizards nodded excitedly. Rose and Michael sat up interested, what did witches and wizards to for Halloween?'

**Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.**

Everyone chuckled at this.

'I bet the git was gutted,' Gideon said happily and everyone nodded their agreement.

**Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one.**

Lily groaned and James beamed.

'That's my boy!' He boomed.

**In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. **

'Oh Harry, that has nothing to do with you,' Dorea said, shaking her head slightly. 'He is so like you James.' She told her son, who grinned widely.

**"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.**

'Or both,' said Lily.

**"Or both," said Harry.**

Everyone laughed and Lily blushed.

**But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.**

'Like his parents.' Marlene muttered, 'always have to know everything.' James and Lily glared at her lightly but didn't comment.

**Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. **

'Because they have sense!' Rose said slightly exasperated.

**All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.**

Everyone laughed at this.

'Because he clearly values his life,' Charlus said with a chuckle.

**Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.**

'Hmph,' Lily pouted. She knew that they would be friends with this girl eventually, she wondered how it would happen.

**All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, **

'Typical Potter,' Dorea muttered, shaking her head in the direction of her husband and son.

**-and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.**

'What?' Fabian and Gideon said together, huge grins on their faces.

**As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. **

'Broomstick,' James grinned in excitement.

**Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.**

**Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:**

_**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.**_

'Everyone will already know what it is,' Marlene scoffed.

_**It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, **_

'A new broomstick?' James, Fabian, Gideon and Marlene asked together in excitement.

_**-but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.**_

'Wicked!' James said grinning.

_**Professor McGonagall**_

**Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.**

'Aww,' Lily, Rose and Dorea cooed.

**"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."**

**They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.**

'Of course,' Michael muttered angrily, he really didn't like this Malfoy boy.

**"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."**

'Wrong!' Everyone said together and then laughed happily, they were all pleased that something was going Harry's way for once.

**Ron couldn't resist it.**

'Course not,' James grinned. Sirius would have done the same if it was them in this situation.

**"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."**

Everyone laughed at this.

'I really like Ron,' James said. 'He reminds me of Sirius.'

The witches and wizards nodded, they knew that Ron would be a good friend to Harry if he was like Sirius.

**"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."**

'That's uncalled for!' Rose said, she didn't know anything about Ron's family, but the boy shouldn't pick at them because they had little in the way of money.

Fabian and Gideon were grumbling under their breaths, describing things that they would like to do to Malfoy if they got their hands on him.

**Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.**

'There always seems to be a teacher around to stop these confrontations,' Lily mused.

'They just automatically know when a fight is about to happen, that's why,' James grinned and winked at his wife.

**"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.**

'Oh, course not,' Fabian and Gideon grinned.

**"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.**

**"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"**

Everyone laughed at this.

_Typical Flitwick, _Lily thought.

**"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sit," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.**

'That's my boy,' James grinned and Lily rolled her eyes.

'I'm more likely to say something like that James,' she said, winking at her husband.

**Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. "Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team..."**

'Thank you for that by the way,' James laughed.

**"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.**

Lily frowned at the girl's behaviour, 'They're never going to be friends with her if she keeps this up,' she muttered in annoyance.

**"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.**

**"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."**

'Ron!' All the females said in exasperation whilst the males snorted.

**Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.**

'She really isn't making it any easier for herself,' James told his wife who frowned again.

On one hand she felt sorry for the girl because she knew that they would be friends eventually, she had been mentioned far too much for them not to be, and then on the other, Hermione did herself no favours but acting this way.

**Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where he'd be learning to play that night. **

Everyone grinned at his enthusiasm.

'He's going to be just like you when it comes to Quidditch,' Lily told James with a small smile. 'I wish we could see him play,'

James frowned before wrapping his arms around Lily and kissing her forehead. 'Me too Lil, me too.' He murmured into her hair.

**He bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.**

Marlene rolled her eyes, 'Boys!' she muttered under her breath.

**"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.**

**Even Harry, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.**

'Woah!' James, the Prewetts and Marlene said in awe.

'It sounds amazing!' James boomed loudly causing Lily, who was still in his arms, to jump and frown at him.

**As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. He had never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. **

James and the other Quidditch enthusiasts smiled at this.

'It's a good pitch,' said James.

**They reminded Harry of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.**

Lily and her parents laughed at this description and the rest looked confused.

**Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground.**

James and Lily smiled widely.

**What a feeling - he swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch.**

'Woahhh,' Gideon and Fabian were practically drooling at the mention of the broomstick now.

**"Hey, Potter, come down!'**

**Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him.**

**"Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant... you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."**

James grinned at this, 'He seems like a good captain.' He commented happily.

**He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.**

**"Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."**

**"Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a football.**

**"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"**

Rose and Michael nodded slightly, making everyone laugh.

**"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So - that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"**

'Don't confuse him Harry,' Lily laughed.

**"What's basketball?" said Wood curiously. "Never mind," said Harry quickly.**

**"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper - I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."**

'I bet he's fantastic,' James said excitedly.

**"Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.**

**"I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."**

**He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat.**

'A bat?' Michael asked confused. 'This is like, football, basketball and Rounder's all rolled into one,' he murmured quietly.

**"I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."**

**He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.**

'Are they dangerous?' Rose fretted.

'They can be,' James told her. 'But that's what beaters are for, they protect us by hitting them at the other players.'

She nodded, but didn't look any less anxious at the mention of dangerous flying balls.

**"Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.**

**At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking his nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air - it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.**

'He'd make a fair beater,' Fabian commented with a grin.

**"See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team - the Weasley twins are ours - it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So - think you've got all that?"**

Rose and Michael nodded again and then laughed when they realised what they were doing.

**"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off.**

**"Very good," said Wood.**

**"Er - have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand.**

'Not at Hogwarts,' Fabian shrugged and Rose looks alarmed again.

**"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers -"**

" **-unless they crack my head open."**

Everyone laughed.

'Typical Lily response,' Michael chuckled.

**"Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers – I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."**

'Yeah!' The twins shouted happily, making everyone laugh.

**Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.**

'The snitch,' grinned Charlus.

**"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. **

'And my son has to be the Seeker,' Lily muttered fearfully.

**A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months; they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep.**

'That would be awesome!' said James.

**Well, that's it – any questions?"**

**Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do all right; it was doing it that was going to be the problem.**

'You'll be fine son,' James told him.

**"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "It's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."**

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch. Harry didn't miss a single one,** **and Wood was delighted. **

'Good lad!' said Charlus. 'He really is a natural.'

**After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.**

**"That Quidditch cup will have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. **

'Yeah it will!' James, Gideon and Fabian said together.

**"I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."**

'High praise it seems,' Dorea murmured.

**Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months.**

'It has gone awfully quick,' Lily commented with a frown. 'It's a shame that we don't get to see what happens in the middle.' She said sadly.

'At least we get this,' Dorea told her.

'Yes, when you look down upon the human world you only get slight snatches of what is happened.' Rose said, moving over to put a comforting arm around her daughter's shoulders.

**The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had.**

Everyone frowned, it shouldn't be that way, they all thought as one.

**His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.**

Lily beamed at this and James rolled his eyes.

**On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. **

All the wizards and witches smiled warmly in remembrance.

**Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice.**

**Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye).**

'Harry!' Lily admonished.

**Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this.**

Everyone laughed.

'Those two remind me of James and Lily in first year, none of the teachers dared to pair them again after they blew up their cauldron in Potions when they were working together.' Marlene laughed.

The parents of the married couple looked shocked but then chuckled at the embarrassment on their children's faces.

**She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.**

'Hmmm,' frowned Lily.

**"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."**

'That's not true,' Charlus scoffed.

**It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it - Harry had to put it out with his hat.**

Everyone laughed at loudly.

**Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.**

'That won't work,' Lily said reproachfully.

**"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."**

'Clever girl,' commented Dorea.

'Shame she goes about helping the wrong way,' whispered Fabian to Gideon who chuckled and continued to read.

**"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.**

'Bet she does it now,' James grinned, this girl reminded him of his wife.

**Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

**Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.**

'Told you,' grinned James.

**"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"**

**Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "She's a nightmare, honestly."**

'That's an awful thing to say!' Rose said aghast.

'Poor girl, I hope she didn't hear.' Dorea fretted quietly, though already feeling like she knew the answer.

**Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. **

'Gah,' Dorea groaned.

**Harry caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears.**

'Awwh,' all of the females cooed and the males looked appropriately abashed by the turn of events.

**"I think she heard you."**

'Thanks Sherlock,' Marlene muttered, she was upset by their behaviour towards the young girl who reminded her so much of Lily.

**"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."**

'Ron!' Everyone gasped at different levels of outrage.

**Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon.**

'Poor dear,' Said Rose sympathetically.

**On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone.**

Everyone frowned.

**Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.**

'Boys!' Marlene fumed.

**A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.**

'Wow,' Michael and Rose said together in awe.

'It really is quite something,' Lily said to them. 'And it changes every year,'

**Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face.**

'What now?' Everyone groaned fearfully.

'Is something going to happen every chapter to tip me further over the edge?' Lily mumbled, putting her face into James' shirt.

**Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know." He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.**

'A troll?' Everyone gasped.

'How is that possible?' Dorea demanded and everyone slowly shook their heads, pale faced.

'Someone must have let it in,' Charlus whispered, his anxiety growing, why did he have the feeling that Harry would meet this troll?

**There was uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.**

'Everyone would be terrified,' Lily whispered in a deathly quiet voice, she _was _terrified.

**"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"**

**Percy was in his element.**

Fabian and Gideon snorted, easing the tension a little.

**"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"**

**"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.**

'Someone let it in,' said Charlus again.

**"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."**

'Peeves wouldn't do that,' James tried to scoff, but it came out as more of a whimper.

**They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.**

**"I've just thought - Hermione."**

'She doesn't know,' Rose whispered and Lily groaned internally, _Harry was going to go after her._

**"What about her?"**

**"She doesn't know about the troll."**

**Ron bit his lip. "Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy had better not see us."**

**Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.**

'Who is it?' Michael asked in confusion.

**"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.**

**Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.**

'Why don't they ask him for help?' Lily demanded.

'He'd probably think that they were lying and ship them back off to the common room, whilst taking a hundred points Lil,' James said in a hard voice.

She nodded and frowned anxiously.

**"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"**

**"Search me."**

**Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.**

**"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.**

'Course he is, evil git,' James and the Prewett twins said together.

**"Can you smell something?"**

'Oh no,' Lily, Dorea, Marlene and Rose whimpered.

**Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.**

'Gross,' Michael said pulling a face.

**And then they heard it - a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.**

**It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.**

Everyone looked a little feint at the description of the troll.

'I hope they find Hermione and get out of there!' Lily whimpered into James' shoulder.

**The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.**

**"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."**

'Please, please don't tell me that Hermione is inside!' Michael groaned, putting his head into his hands.

**"Good idea," said Ron nervously.**

**They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.**

"**Yes!"**

**Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop - a high, petrified scream - and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.**

'No!' Everyone shouted.

'Now they have to go back!' Charlus said fearfully.

**"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.**

**"It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.**

**"Hermione!" they said together.**

**It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.**

James and Lily were holding onto each other tightly, pale faced, _please be ok, _they prayed over and over in their minds, _please be ok. _

**Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.**

**"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.**

'Clever boys,' Charlus commented quietly.

**The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.**

'No!' Lily screeched, 'My baby, my baby,' she muttered, tears streaming down her face.

**"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.**

**"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.**

'Poor child,' Dorea murmured.

**The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.**

'No,' the two Prewetts whimpered, they didn't want their nephew to be hurt.

'A teacher needs to get their right away!' Rose said frantically.

**Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid:**

'No no no!' Lily mumbled into James arms and they both waited fearfully to hear what was going to happen to their son now.

**He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind.**

James and Lily looked at each other, fear the most dominant expression on their faces.

'You can tell he's your son,' she muttered. 'If he doesn't get out of this, I'll kill you.'

James let out a chocked laugh and hugged his wife to him. 'He'll be ok,' he murmured into her hair.

**The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, **

'What?' Everyone said incredulously, amusement breaking through the fear on their faces.

**-and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped – it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.**

'Oh Harry!' Lily said, letting out a strangled laugh.

**Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.**

'No,' James and Lily said together, fear lacing their tones once again.

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand - not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

'He can't do that spell!' Marlene said in exasperation.

**The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over - and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. **

There was silence for a moment, 'Oh, ok, maybe he can.' Marlene said, shaking with laughter.

**The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.**

'Yes!' Everyone either whispered or shouted in relief.

**Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.**

Everyone let out strangled laughs.

**It was Hermione who spoke first. "Is it - dead?"**

"**I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."**

**He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue.**

'Eewww,' Marlene shuddered.

**"Urgh - troll bogies." He wiped it on the troll's trousers.**

More laughter.

**A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realised what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.**

Dorea and Charlus frowned,_ what odd behaviour of a man who teaches Defence, it seems almost overly acted_, they thought together.

**Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white.**

'Students were in danger, she should be angry!' said Rose shrilly.

**Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.**

'Really?' Lily said in exasperation, '_Your _son,' she murmured to James who let out a loud laugh.

**"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"**

**Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look.**

'Leave my son alone,' James muttered dangerously.

**Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down. Then a small voice came out of the shadows. "Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."**

**"Miss Granger!"**

**Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last. "I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."**

Everyone gasped.

'Did she just lie to a teacher?' Fabian asked in shocked. Everyone nodded, they all had disbelieving looks on their faces.

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?**

**"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."**

**Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.**

'Bet that worked,' Michael snorted.

**"Well - in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"**

**Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.**

James and the Prewetts snickered loudly.

**"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall.**

**"I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."**

**Hermione left.**

**Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron. "Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."**

'Wow, she let them go, just like that?' Gideon said in a low tone, completely amazed.

**They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.**

**"We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled.**

**"Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."**

**"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."**

'Of course,' Lily groaned sardonically.

**"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.**

Everyone laughed, they found the situation a lot funnier now the three children were out of danger.

**They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Pig snout," they said and entered.**

**The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.**

'Bless them,' Fabian said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

**But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend.**

'Just like that?' Fabian said shocked.

'If you let me continue...' Gideon said in a teasing manner.

**There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.**

'Oh,' was all Fabian said, causing everybody to laugh.

'Well, that's the end of the chapter.' Gideon told them. 'Who next?'

'I will!' said a surprisingly deep male voice coming from behind them and they all turned around, shocked to see the new arrivals.


	12. Quidditch

**CHAPTER ELEVEN – QUIDDITCH**

Everyone spun around so fast that a loud 'crack' was heard because of the combined clicks of the neck.

'Benjy!' Lily squeaked and jumped to her feet, 'Benjy Fenwick!' she exclaimed, jumping into his arms and hugging him closely.

Everyone else quickly stood and watched Lily embrace Benjy, James a little grudgingly, he had been one of Lily's boyfriends at school – so naturally James didn't really like him - and when they were in the Order together, they were good friends.

'Fenwick,' He greeted as politely as he could muster.

'Hey there Potter,' Benjy grinned, letting go of Lily and taking James' hand, shaking it enthusiastically, 'Long time no see!'

Marlene, Fabian and Gideon all embraced Benjy too and the parents shook his hand.

'Is no one going to say hello to me?' A quiet, peaceful voice asked from behind Benjy, from someone that nobody had noticed before. Everyone looked around to see a young woman, with pale brown skin, long black hair and large amber eyes.

'Dorcas!' Marlene yelled happily, running over to embrace another friend.

'Hey there Marls,' she said quietly, with a smile hugging her back.

Another round of pleasantries ensued and everyone talked with Dorcas Meadowes and Benjy Fenwick for a little while. Lily stood in between them both, their hands in hers whilst she had a small smile upon her face.

'So what are you two doing here?' James asked finally, a question that had been burning within his mind since they turned up.

'We heard you we here now,' Benjy told him. 'We wanted to see you, we can go back at any time.'

'Back where?' Lily asked curiously.

'This isn't the only plain up here Lil,' Dorcas said. 'You must have noticed that you're the only ones here.' She said with a twinkle to her amber eyes. Lily blushed and nodded in understanding.

'So what are we reading anyway?' Benjy asked with a grin. 'I mean – I did offer to go next.'

'Books about Harry Potter,' Dorea told them with smile and they looked at her dumbfounded.

'You mean –' Dorcas started before Benjy cut her off.

'- you mean Lily and James' son, that Harry Potter?' Dorcas glared at the young man on the other side of Lily – he had fair, blonde hair and happy blue eyes – and he laughed at her.

'Yes,' Lily said happily. 'We get to see his years at Hogwarts!'

'Wow, we get to know everything?' Benjy asked in awe and everyone nodded together. 'Well pass me the book then!' He told them in excitement, causing them all to laugh. Lily picked the book up from the ground and passed it to him, he opened it to the dog-eared page and grinned.

'Chapter 11 – Quidditch!'

'Harry's first match!' James boomed, sitting down on the floor, pulling Lily down with him.

'What do you mean James?' asked Dorcas in shock. 'Isn't he a first year?'

'Yup,' James grinned mysteriously, causing all those in the know to laugh lightly.

'You don't mean-' Dorcas broke off and Benjy made an excited sound.

'First year and he's on the team!' Benjy gasped, 'seems he can give his father a run for his money then, eh James?' he winked and then began to read as James opened his mouth to retort.

**As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. **

'It tends to do that,' Gideon commented cockily, causing Fabian to role his eyes.

**The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost.**

'It must look beautiful,' sighed Rose dreamily

**Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver skin boots.**

**The Quidditch season had begun.**

'Yes!' James, Charlus, Michael (who was eager to hear about a real games), the twins, Marlene and Benjy exclaimed, whilst the others just settled on smiling widely.

**On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, **

'Which they will!' James exclaimed in complete confidence.

**-they would move up into second place in the house championship.**

'That's good too,' Dorcas smiled, she always liked to win points for her house (even though she was a Ravenclaw and not a Gryffindor – she didn't believe in house rivalry)

**Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, **

'Of course,' Marlene grinned. 'There are no secrets at Hogwarts.'

'You would now, eh Marly?' Lily asked, her green eyes twinkling. 'I believe you spread enough rumours and were on the receiving end of many in your time,'

Marlene blushed brightly and didn't answer Lily, causing everyone to snicker lightly.

**-and Harry didn't know which was worse - people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.**

'Gits,' Michael growled.

**It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. **

Lily beamed.

**He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.**

'Best book ever!' James and the twins boomed, causing Lily, Marlene and Dorcas to roll their eyes.

**Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; **

James sighed dreamily wishing he could have seen that match.

**that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.**

**Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules** **since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, **

'Mountain troll!' Dorcas squeaked, the noise sounding odd against her naturally calm voice.

'Yeah,' sighed Lily in frustration, rubbing her brow. 'Someone let one in at the Halloween feast and of course, my son and his friend decided it would be ok to go and find this girl, Hermione, who they had upset earlier in the day. Of course they met the mountain troll on their journey.'

Dorcas blanched slightly and nodded, looking with concern at her friend, she really hoped that Lily wouldn't have to hear about her son in danger a lot, but she couldn't help think that she had no choice.

**-and she was much nicer for it. The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.**

'Such a clever girl,' said Charlus with a look of amazement on his face.

**They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping.**

'Why is he limping?' Benjy asked frowning.

'Not sure,' Fabian muttered to him.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye.**

'Of course,' James groaned.

**He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.**

**"What's that you've got there, Potter?"**

**It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.**

**"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."**

'That is not a rule!' Lily and Dorea said together angrily.

**"He's just made that rule up," **

'Yes he did!' Lily muttered.

**Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"**

'Don't we all-'

'I hope it's really hurting him,' Fabian and Gideon said together.

**"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.**

Everyone laughed.

**The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.**

All the males present grinned at this.

**Harry felt restless. He wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape? **

'Because he's a greasy, over grown bat?' James suggested innocently and Lily slapped him on the back of the head with a scowl.

**Getting up, he told Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.**

'Brave lad,' Michael muttered, he didn't like what the Snape boy had turned into.

**"Better you than me," they said together, but Harry had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.**

'Marauder,' Benjy coughed and James scowled at him.

**He made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.**

'Weird, there is always someone in the staff room,' James commented.

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try.**

'Argh,' Groaned Lily.

**He pushed the door ajar and peered inside - and a horrible scene met his eyes.**

'What now?' Everyone said together.

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone.**

James, Gideon and Fabian and Benjy started to snicker lightly.

**Snape was holding his robes above his knees.**

Lily, Marlene and Dorcas started to pull faces, causing the men to laugh out loud.

**One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.**

'Oh,' Everyone sighed in relief and then laughed.

**"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"**

'What?' Dorea and Lily gasped.

'What is it?' Dorcas and Benjy asked together.

'Evil git,' the Prewett's muttered.

'He went to the dog?' James asked incredulously.

'What dog has three heads?' Dorcas asked in a shocked voice.

'One that is holed up on a third floor corridor of Hogwarts at the moment, protecting the Philosopher's stone.' Told Charlus.

Comprehension dawned on the faces of Benjy and Dorcas as they remembered being told this by Lily when they first arrived. Worry however settled on the faces of some of the others, what would Snape want with the stone?

**Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but –**

'Hmph,' James huffed.

**"POTTER!"**

**Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped.**

'Don't be scared of that git, little Potter!' Gideon and Fabian said together.

**"I just wondered if I could have my book back."**

**"GET OUT! OUT!"**

**Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. He sprinted back upstairs.**

**"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?"**

**In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.**

'Of course,' James said with a huge smile, if it was him he would have told his friends as well.

**"You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him - he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, **

'Don't make bets just yet dear,' Dorea said in a low tone, she had a feeling that Snape wasn't the one who was after the stone or let the troll in.

**-to make a diversion!"**

**Hermione's eyes were wide. "No - he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."**

'Yeah right,' James scoffed.

**"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"**

**Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question. Neville was snoring loudly, but Harry couldn't sleep. He tried to empty his mind - he needed to sleep, he had to, he had his first Quidditch match in a few hours**

'Yes sleep Harry!' James and Lily said anxiously.

**- but the expression on Snape's face when Harry had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget.**

**The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheer full chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.**

Everyone sat up a little straighter, excitement tingling in the air, they wanted to know how Harry's first match would go.

**"You've got to eat some breakfast."**

'Yes eat son,' James and Lily fretted, holding onto each other's hands.

**"I don't want anything."**

**"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.**

**"I'm not hungry."**

'Eat dear,' Dorea murmured.

**Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field.**

**"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."**

'Tactful!' Marlene said scathingly, her eyes flashing.

'Is it dangerous?' Rose fretted.

'It can be, but it should be alright, as long as the beaters are good (which I have a feeling they are) he'll be well protected,' Charlus told her.

**"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.**

**By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

**Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row.**

Lily snorted at how her son remembered who the boy was.

**As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said**_**Potter for President**_**, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colours.**

'Clever girl,' Dorea said impressed, nodding slightly.

**Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes-**

'Yesss!'

**(Slytherin would be playing in green).**

'Boooo!'

**Wood cleared his throat for silence.**

**"Okay, men," he said.**

**"And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.**

**"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."**

**"The big one," said Fred Weasley.**

**"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

**"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year."**

Everyone erupted into laughter.

'Those twins are something else,' Michael laughed.

**"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."**

**He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

'Reminds me of somebody else when they was Captain.' Marlene muttered to Lily, who laughed and leaned over to kiss her husband on the cheek, who by consequence wasn't paying attention to them, but had the manic look of 'win or else' on his face again.

**"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."**

**Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.**

Everyone in the field started to cheer loudly for Harry as well, the anticipation mounting.

**Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.**

'She's new,' James commented quietly, squeezing Lily's hand with a grin.

**"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," **

All the wizards and witches present snorted at that and Rose and Michael looked confused.

'There hasn't been a clean match between Gryffindor and Slytherin since the school's inception,' Charlus told them with a dry chuckle. They both nodded, still a little confused.

**-she said, once they were all gathered around her.**

**Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, **

'Flint?' Gideon scoffed.

'If he's a big of a dunderhead as his father then they win this out right!' Fabian laughed.

**-a sixth year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. **

Snorts were heard throughout the clearing.

'Your wit he has, Lil.' Benjy said, patting Lily on the shoulder and winking at James.

**Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing**_**Potter for President**_**over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver.**

'Gryffindors,' murmured Dorcas under her breath.

**"Mount your brooms, please."**

**Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.**

**"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"**

Everyone was laughing already, this kid had some humour.

**"JORDAN!"**

**"Sorry, Professor."**

**The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.**

**"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goal posts are ahead - come on, now, Angelina - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"**

'YES!' Everyone cheered happily.

**Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.**

**"Budge up there, move along."**

'What?' screeched James. 'What about the game! I want to hear about the game!'

Lily smacked her husband on the back of the head whilst shaking her own, 'Honestly James!' she muttered.

**"Hagrid!"**

**Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.**

'Why has it changed point of view?' Marlene asked curiously, worry starting to seep into her stomach. Nobody had an answer, but she could see the worry on their faces too. What now?

**"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"**

**"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."**

**"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.**

**Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.**

**"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."**

'Good plan,' James and Lily said together, but with entirely different tones.

**When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch.**

**Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches,**

'Wrist watches?' James said aghast. 'During a Quidditch match?'

-**and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.**

**"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.**

**"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"**

**A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle; too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.**

**Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. **

'GO HARRY!' everyone screamed.

**Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch -all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in mid-air to watch.**

**Harry was faster than Higgs - he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead - - he put on an extra spurt of speed - WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below - Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.**

Lily and James started muttering curses underneath their breath whilst everyone else looked livid.

**"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.**

**Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.**

**Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"**

'The stands again?' Dorea asked confused, what was going on?

**"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.**

**"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In football you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"**

**"But this isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him.**

**Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side. "They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."**

'Oh Hagrid,' Lily murmured with a smile and watery eyes.

**Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides. "So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating -"**

'You tell them kid!' Fabian and Gideon said together, chortling slightly.

**"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.**

**"I mean, after that open and revolting foul -"**

"**Jordan, I'm warning you -"**

Everyone was laughing now.

**"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."**

**It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. **

'What?' Everyone shouted.

'Well if you'd let me read,' Benjy said in an annoyed voice, causing everyone to blush slightly.

**His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch.**

'Oh no, oh no, oh no. My baby!' Lily murmured, clutching James tightly.

**For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.**

**It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal posts - he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out - and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control.**

'What?' Said everyone aghast, that wasn't possible.

**He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.**

**Lee was still commentating.**

**"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - A no..."**

**The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.**

**"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom... but he can't have..."**

'He has!' Lily cried, 'Someone help my baby!'

**Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.**

**"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.**

**"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic - no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."**

**At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.**

'Snape!' James said venomously and everyone nodded, thinking the same thing.

**"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, grey-faced.**

**"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape - look."**

'Clever girl.' Dorea nodded her approval.

**Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.**

'He's jinxing my son?' James said, starting to get to his feet. 'I'll kill him, I'll kill him!'

'Don't be silly Jamie, sit down, I want to know what's happening!' Lily moaned, grabbing her husband's arm.

**"He's doing something - jinxing the broom," said Hermione.**

**"What should we do?"**

**"Leave it to me."**

'What is she going to do?' Marlene murmured, biting her nails.

**Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull** **Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell.**

**Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.**

'Git!' Michael shouted, 'My grandson could die!'

**"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.**

**Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front.**

'Hmm.' Dorea and Charlus said together, their auror instincts kicking in, why would it mention Quirrell?

**Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well- chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.**

Everyone burst out laughing, the tension dissipating slightly.

'Never thought I'd see that girl set fire to a teacher,' Gideon laughed.

**It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire.**

**A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row - Snape would never know what had happened.**

Everyone laughed at this again.

**It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.**

**"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.**

'Bless him,' Dorcas cooed.

**Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick - he hit the field on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into his hand.**

'No way!' James laughed.

**"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.**

'Go HARRY!' Everyone cheered happily, glad that he had won his first match.

'I can't believe it,' repeated James over and over, with tears in his eyes. 'My son is awesome!'

Lily smiled and turned to give her husband a kiss, 'Just like you, he gets it from you.' She murmured.

**"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference - Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results - Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Harry heard none of this, though.** **He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione.**

Everyone laughed.

'Good ol'Hagrid.' Charlus said shaking his head slightly.

**"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."**

**"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"**

'Cause he's evil?' A few people muttered together.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.**

**"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."**

**Hagrid dropped the teapot. "How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.**

There was a dead beat if silence before...

'FLUFFY?' Rose shrieked, 'That thing has a name!'

'Told you it would be something soft,' James said to his mother in law.

She shook her head frantically, sometimes these wizards were just plain _odd, _she thought.

**"Fluffy?"**

**"Yeah - he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -"**

**"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.**

'Nosy as Lily and James I see,' Benjy muttered.

**"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."**

**"But Snape's trying to steal it."**

**"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."**

**"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione. The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"**

'Hmmm,' Charlus though, is it possible that Snape was doing the counter-jinx? He shook his head, pushing away that thought, if that was true then who would want to curse Harry?

**"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"**

**"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"**

'I've heard that name before,' Dorea murmured to Charlus, 'But where?'

He nodded. 'I too recognise the name Dor, maybe our young Harry will find out for us?' he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

She nodded and laughed. 'Yes, I imagine he will.'

**Hagrid looked furious with himself.**

'That's it,' Benjy said, closing the book. 'Who next?'

'I will,' Dorcas said in her gentle tone, taking the book from Benjy's hands with a small smile.

* * *

**Hello lovely lovely readers! Do you all hate me? I know it has been ever so long since I last updated and for that I feel awful, it has really been getting on my nerves that I could update, especially when I saw that people were still favoriting and following this story. I hate to make excuses but I've had a super rough time of late, what with exams, getting a new job and breaking up with my boyfriend, I just havent had the time to write anything. But alas, that is all sorted now so I shall be back to updating for you guys whenever I can. **

**What do you think of this chapter? Im sure you all thought it would be someone better than Dorcas and Benjy but I thought they'd add something to it, especially when we dont know really know the story to the original Order of the Phoenix. The problem with the first couple of books is that obviously, noone dies, but when they do in future books I will definaltly bring them in to spice it up a little. If you get bored with any of the characters, then tell me and I'll see what I can do about it. **

**Your reviews are of course, welcome. I love getting them, they make my day, so if I am forgiven for my lack of updating then please let me know! Enjoy the story guys. **

**Forevertruex**


	13. The Mirror of Erised

**CHAPTER TWELVE - THE MIRROR OF ERISED**

'Ok,' started Dorcas in her calm voice. 'The Mirror of Erised.'

'The what now?' Gideon asked, his mouth falling open.

'Yeah, what is an Erised?' Fabian asked.

Lily looked up, her face in a frown. 'Let me look please Dorcas.'

Dorcas looked at Lily curiously, but otherwise complied and handed her the book. Lily looked at the chapter title for a short moment and then gasped.

'What is it Lil?' asked James urgently, taking his wife's arm and looking at the book, he could see nothing wrong.

'The mirror of Desire,' she whispered, her hand coming up to her mouth.

'Why would Harry know what that was?' Dorea asked, getting up to move closer to Lily. 'There is only one of those mirrors, why would Dumbledore bring it to Hogwarts?'

'Maybe he is using it to protect the stone?' Charlus suggested.

'Wait, wait, wait.' James said and the voiced the question that everyone else wanted to ask. 'What the hell is a mirror of desire?'

'From the legend that I read in the Hogwarts library, they show the seeker who is looking into the mirror what they most desire. The happiest man on earth could look into the mirror and see only himself, many people have wasted away in front of one.' Lily told her husband and James frowned.

'I wonder what Harry will see, it's clear that he is going to find it.' Marlene said.

'There's only one way to _find out_,' Benjy said, taking the book back from Lily's stiff hands and handing it to Dorcas.

**Christmas was coming.**

Read Dorcas and everyone suddenly looked happier.

**One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.**

'I love those twins!' Fabian and Gideon said with identical grins.

**The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.**

**No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms.**

'I always hated that,' Lily shuddered.

'But you have magic!' Michael said astounded. 'Why didn't they just warm up the corridors?'

All of the witches and wizards looked around and each other and shrugged, why did they never think of that?

**Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.**

'Slughorn always used to keep the Dungeons really warm,' Lily commented and then shook her head; trust Severus to make the children hate him even more because they were freezing.

**"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home." He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.**

Everyone's fists tightened.

'Little git,' Rose moaned. 'How dare he say that when Harry's parents are... are...' she stopped to control her emotions and Michael took her hand to reassure her that it was alright.

**Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next.**

**Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.**

!

Protests were made throughout the clearing and threats were made about what people would do to the 'little death eater in the making' if they could.

Lily and James just held each other tightly, anguish showing on their faces because of how much they wished they could be with their son at Christmas.

**It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr and Mrs Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.**

'Oh good,' Lily sighed. 'At least he won't be alone.'

**When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.**

'I love his descriptions of things,' Benjy murmured with a small chuckle.

**"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.**

'Lovely boy,' Rose commented with a small nod.

**"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."**

**"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose - that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."**

'Oi!' Fabian and Gideon exclaimed angrily.

**Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.**

**"WEASLEY!"**

'Bad timing,' Gideon laughed.

**Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.**

Everyone groaned and then laughed, looking at each other with wide eyes.

**"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."**

'You tell him Hagrid!' Gideon said.

'Not that he is going to listen,' Lily mumbled angrily.

**"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."**

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.**

'Gits,' Benjy and James murmured together.

**"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him -"**

**"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape."**

'Good - gits the both of them.' This to everyone's surprise came from Lily

**"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."**

All the wizards and witches sighed dreamily in remembrance of Hogwarts at Christmas.

**So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.**

**"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree - put it in the far corner, would you?"**

**The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.**

'That sounds beautiful,' Rose said as Michael nodded in agreement.

**"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.**

**"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me -Harry, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."**

'WHAT?'

**"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron,** **tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.**

**"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"**

'I don't think so Hagrid,' Lily said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, she thought that she knew what this was about.

**"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."**

'Your son!' Lily and James said, rounding on each other immediately with wide eyes. Everyone laughed loudly at the two of them.

**"You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here - I've told yeh – drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."**

**"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.**

**"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere - just give us a hint - I know I've read his name somewhere."**

'I wonder where,' Dorea murmured under her breath, her brow furrowed in thought.

**"I'm sayin' nothin, said Hagrid flatly.**

'Typical!' Marlene shouted, she really wanted to know what the dog was guarding.

**"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.**

**They had indeed been searching books for Flamel' name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in**_**Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century**_**, or**_**Notable Magical Names of Our Time**_**; he was missing, too, from**_**Important Modern Magical Discoveries**_**, and**_**A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry**_**.**

'Flamel... Flamel...' Lily said under her breath, racking her brains, she knew she herself had heard that name.

**And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.**

Lily and Dorea sighed dreamily in remembrance of the Hogwarts library.

**Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random.**

**Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one.**

**These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts.**

**"What are you looking for, boy?"**

'Madam Pince,' James and the twins groaned together miserably.

**"Nothing," said Harry.**

**Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him. "You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!"**

**Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library.**

'That will come with time Son, trust me, your father was useless in his early days.' Said Charlus much to everyone's amusement, James however proceeded to narrow his eyes and pout playfully at his father.

**He, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel.**

'Good,' everyone breathed.

**They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.**

**Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for a fortnight, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.**

_They need the invisibility cloak, _James and Charlus thought together with a sad smile on each of their faces, _it's a shame it won't get passed down from father to son like it did with all the other generations of the Potter family._

**Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.**

**"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."**

'They won't look,' Rose said with absolute certainty. 'They'll be too busy enjoying their vacation'

**"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them."**

**"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.**

Everyone snorted at this.

**Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel.**

'Told you,' Rose said.

'We know dear, nobody contradicted you.'

Rose flushed and stuck her tongue out at her husband.

**They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork - bread, crumpets, marshmallows - and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.**

'No they won't.' Said James, Gideon and Fabian together, thinking of all the times that they had sat on those exact chairs and thought of ways to get Slytherin's expelled.

**Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess.**

James and Charlus looked downcast at this, thinking that the father should teach the son how to play wizard chess – but James wasn't there anymore.

**This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family - in this case, his grandfather.**

Charlus grimaced - _Harry should have gotten his chest set, _he thought wistfully; but did not voice the opinion_._

**However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.**

**Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing.**

**"Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him."**

Everyone laughed, but half-heartedly, this chapter, it seemed, was going to be hard to hear on most present - A reminded that Harry did not have family around him at Christmas.

**On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all.**

Everyone groaned and Lily and James' eyes filled with tears. _Poor boy, _they all thought collectively.

**When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.**

James and Lily blew out a sigh of relief and grinned happily at each other.

**"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.**

**"You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"**

Tears welled in Lily's eyes. Her young, precious son was not used to having presents, her heart broke and hatred towards the Dark Lord – already quite potent – reared its head inside of her again, she couldn't believe that she could have such hatred of something so much.

**"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's.**

**Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was**_**To Harry, from Hagrid**_**. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl.**

'Lovely man,' Rose and Dorea said at the same time and then smiled at each other sadly.

**A second, very small parcel contained a note.**_**We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.**_**Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.**

'That's friendly,' Said Michael sarcastically.

**"That's friendly," said Harry.**

Everybody chortled.

**Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.**

**"Weird!" he said, "What a shape! This is money?"**

**"You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and my aunt and uncle - so who sent these?"**

**"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents and - oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley jumper."**

'Awwwww!' All the women cooed.

**Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of home-made fudge.**

'Molly is a gem,' Dorcas said, smiling fondly.

**"Every year she makes us a jumper," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."**

**"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.**

**His next present also contained candy - a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione. This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it. Something fluid and silvery grey went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds.**

'NO!' James and Charlus shouted together in amazement and then looked at each other wide eyed – their wives were about to find out a very important secret.

'What is it?' Lily and Dorea asked together.

The two men ignored their wives and continued to look at each other with wide eyes.

**Ron gasped.**

**"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavour Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is - they're really rare, and really valuable."**

'What is it?!' Said everyone, bar James and Charlus, excitedly.

**"What is it?"**

**Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.**

'Am invisibility cloak?' Whispered Dorea and Lily together.

**"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face.** **"I'm sure it is - try it on."**

**Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.**

**"It is! Look down!"**

**Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in mid-air, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.**

'How in the world...' Rose trailed off; looking slightly sick.

**"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"**

**Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words:**_**Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you**_**.**

'Your father?' Lily whispered. '_Your father!' _she yelled, looking wildly around at her husband as Dorea did the same.

'How did you get an invisibility cloak Jamie?' Dorea asked quietly, not taking her eyes from her husband.

'Your promised me that you didn't have one James!' Lily shouted. 'You promised! All the times I asked, why did you lie?'

James looked sheepishly at his wife, 'Well... Lil... you see... it's an old family heirloom... a secret between father and son through tradition... when we were together I didn't want to break my father's faith – a father who had been increasingly ill... to tell you about it, I'm sorry. I never dreamed (now) that Harry would get it... I'm dead. Why would Dumbledore give it to him?' but Lily didn't her the silent plea for understanding in her husband's voice. She merely glared at him and heard Dorea accosting her own husband.

'...utterly irresponsible... I told you not to give James that cloak... I told you...'

'So Dumbledore knew of the cloak?' Lily asked, finally calming her anger after knowing that her husband had lied to her. 'He knew... that's what he wanted from you... a couple of days before we... before _it _happened?'

James nodded to his wife, his face showing no emotion. 'Yes he knew about the cloak, he said he wanted to study it, but it couldn't have saved us Lil, it wouldn't have hidden us from _him.' _

Lily nodded and motioned for Dorcas to keep reading – they would talk about this later.

**There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.**

**"I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"**

**"Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father?**

'Yes,' everyone said together, quite confused about the recent events.

**Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. He didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.**

'Good,' James and Charlus said together causing their wives to glare at them.

**"Merry Christmas!"**

**"Hey, look - Harry's got a Weasley jumper, too!"**

**Fred and George were wearing blue jumpers, one with a large yellow F on it, the other with a large yellow G.**

**"Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's jumper. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."**

'I'm sure that's not true,' Rose said in a kind, motherly voice.

**"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."**

**"I hate maroon," Ron moaned half-heartedly as he pulled it over his head.**

**"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."**

Laughter erupted, Fabian and Gideon most of all.

'Hey they stole our joke!' chortled Fabian.

'Yeah, we were always Gabian and Fideon!' said Gideon.

**"What's all this noise?"**

**Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy jumper over his arm, which Fred seized.**

**"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry got one."**

**"I - don't – want -" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the jumper over his head, knocking his glasses askew.**

**"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family."**

'Yes it is,' Said everyone together, smiling sadly at one another for they could not be with all of their families now.

**They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his jumper.**

**Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table.**

'Hmmm,' all of the wizards and witches sighed reminiscently.

**These fantastic crackers were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice.**

'Wow,' Said Rose and Michael together.

**Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.**

**Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice. Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lop-sided.**

'Drunken McGonagall!' Boomed Fabian, Gideon, James and Benjy excitedly.

**When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs Norris's Christmas dinner.**

**Harry and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron. He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.**

**After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.**

**It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed into bed was he free to think about it: the Invisibility Cloak and whoever had sent it.**

'Hmmph.' Lily groaned, unhappy with Charlus, James and Dumbledore for that one. Who knew what her overly curious son could get up to with an invisibility cloak?

**Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster.**

**Harry leaned over the side of his own bed and pulled the Cloak out from under it.**

**His father's... this had been his father's. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air.**_**Use it well**_**, the note had said.**

'Oh no,' James gulped, he was going to get in trouble with Lily for this one, he knew his son would get straight out of bed (as he had done on his first night with the cloak) and go exploring the castle.

**He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.**

_**Use it well**_**.**

**Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.**

'He is defiantly your son James,' everyone said together whilst Lily groaned unhappily.

**Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back - his father's cloak - he felt that this time - the first time - he wanted to use it alone.**

James and Lily (though grudgingly) smiled sadly, this was the first and probably only thing that Harry would receive from them apart from looks and slight personality traits.

**He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.**

**"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Harry said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.**

James chuckled quietly under his breath; the Fat Lady must have felt a strange sense of déjà vu for that had probably not happened to her in over twenty years.

**Where should he go? He stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library.**

'What?' James, Charlus, Gideon, Fabian, Benjy and Marlene gasped. How could he think of going there of all places!

**He'd be able to read as long as he liked, **

'Your son,' James coughed and winked at Lily, who sneered good-naturedly.

**as long as it took to find out who Flamel was. He set off, drawing the Invisibility Cloak tight around him as he walked.**

**The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in mid-air, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps.**

**The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles.**

'You'd think there would be some sort of alarm that would alert someone if this happened.' said Rose, looking slightly confused.

'You would think that,' said Dorea nodding her head.

**They didn't tell him much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.**

'Woah,' all the wizards said together.

'What is it?' asked Michael.

'He can sense magic!' breathed Charlus, amazed. 'Only really great wizards can sense magic around them.'

Rose and Michael still looked a little confused and unnerved like the rest of those gathered.

**He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open.**

'Not a good idea,' whispered Lily anxiously.

**A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence - the book was screaming!**

'Shut it and run!' James shouted.

**Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, ear-splitting note. He stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside - stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, he ran for it. He passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him, and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in his ears.**

**He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armour. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armour near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there.**

'This school goes on forever!' gasped Rose in amazement, whilst Michael nodded in agreement, the wizards and witches laughed.

**"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section."**

'Snape, no doubt.' said James, shaking his head in disgust at his son's luck.

**Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape **

'Of course it is.' Benjy scowled as James nodded angrily.

**-who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."**

**Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him - the cloak didn't stop him from being solid.**

'Just back up against a wall and don't breathe!' James, Lily, Dorea and Charlus shouted in unison and then looked at each other amazed.

**He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.**

'This must be it,' Lily whispered, worry seeping into her voice as she tried to control her emotions. What would her son desire the most?

**It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned waste-paper basket - but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.**

**It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.**

'I show not your face but your heart's desire' Dorcas and Marlene whispered, repeating Lily's words from earlier.

**His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.**

**He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming.**

'What is it?' Everyone asked quickly.

Dorcas didn't answer but started to read in a faster voice as to try and dissipate the tension in the room.

**He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed - for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.**

'Who...?' Fabian started to ask, but Lily shushed him. She had a really bad feeling about this.

**But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.**

**There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder - but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?**

'That would be better than whatever this... this is...' Michael said, starting to get a little worried now.

**He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air - she and the others existed only in the mirror.**

**She was a very pretty woman. **

James smiled; he knew who this 'very pretty woman' would be.

**She had dark red hair and her eyes – her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green - exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time.**

There wasn't one person that was gathered in the little field who didn't have tears in their eyes at this image.

'It's me,' Lily chocked, putting her face into her hands as James put his arm around her.

**The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. **

James' face paled extremely and everyone in the circle looked as equally distressed as the married couple.

**He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did.**

'He's seeing that he gets his hair from me,' whispered James, his voice cracking and his eyes prickling.

**Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.**

**"Mom?" he whispered. "Dad?"**

Lily let out a loud sob as she heard these words spoken, wishing nothing more than to be able to put her arms around her little boy.

'James!' she cried weakly, shaking in his arms as though willing them to disappear. James shushed her slightly and kissed her red hair, tears streaming down his own faces as he held his distressed wife closer.

**They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees – **

'He's seeing us as well.' Dorea whispered, tears in her eyes and clutching her husband's hand. Michael and Rose looked at each other and smiled sadly, this was so hard to hear.

**Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.**

Lily's sobs got louder after this comment.

'Oh my precious little boy!' she whimpered into James shirt.

**The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.**

'Poor child.' Marlene murmured, she too had tears in her eyes.

'This is _his_ entirefault!' Fabian growled to Gideon, anger overtaking him. Gideon put a restraining hand on his brother's shoulder.

'I know' said Gideon. 'But there is nothing we can do to change it.'

**How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here,**

Everyone let out a sign of relief, 'Good, he's coming back to his senses.'

**- he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back,"**

'NO! He can't!' whimpered Lily. 'It'll do him know good to dwell on us.'

**- and hurried from the room.**

**"You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.**

**"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror."**

**"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said eagerly.**

'Oh bless the child.' said Dorea.

'What is it?' asked Michael.

'The mirror only shows _your _greatest desire and I hardly think that Ronald Weasleys greatest desire is to see Harry's family.' She replied.

'Ahh, he's going to see something different when he looks into the mirror.' Dorea nodded and Dorcas continued to read.

**"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."**

**"You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people.** **Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"**

**Harry couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?**

'He's losing it.' Benjy said and James glared at him.

'Wouldn't you if you had never met your family? If something gave you the choice to?' asked James angrily.

'Hey hey! Calm down, I'm just pointing it out. It can't exactly be good for the kid.'

James glowered and opened his mouth to say something but Lily put a restraining hand on his shoulder and instead he turned to look at Dorcas expectantly.

**"Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd."**

**What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.**

**"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back."**

**"No!" Harry hissed. "I know it's here somewhere."**

**They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. Just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armour.**

**"It's here - just here - yes!"**

Everyone looked around at each other unhappily. They didn't want Harry to spend all of his time in front of the mirror.

**They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror. There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.**

James and Lily smiled sadly.

**"See?" Harry whispered.**

**"I can't see anything."**

**"Look! Look at them all... there are loads of them..."**

**"I can only see you."**

**"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."**

'He isn't going to see the same as you, Harry.' Rose told the book.

**Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pyjamas.**

**Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.**

**"Look at me!" he said.**

**"Can you see all your family standing around you?"**

**"No - I'm alone - but I'm different - I look older - and I'm head boy!"**

Fabian and Gideon started howling with laughter. 'Typical Weasley.'

**"What?"**

**"I am - I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to - and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup - I'm Quidditch captain, too."**

'Woooooo' Benjy whistled, chuckling at Ron's greatest desires.

**Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry. "Do you think this mirror shows the future?"**

'Tactful.' Snorted Marlene condescendingly.

**"How can it? All my family are dead - let me have another look -"**

**"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time."**

**"You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents."**

**"Don't push me -"**

'Don't fight!' Lily fretted.

**A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.**

**"Quick!"**

**Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs Norris came round the door. Ron and Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing - did the cloak work on cats? After what seemed an age, she turned and left.**

**"This isn't safe - she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on." And Ron pulled Harry out of the room.**

**The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.**

**"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron.**

**"No."**

**"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"**

**"No... you go..."**

**"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight."**

**"Why not?"**

**"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it - and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"**

**"You sound like Hermione."**

**"I'm serious, Harry, don't go."**

**But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop him. That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone.**

**And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all.**

'This is good.' Said James worriedly, he didn't want his son to waste away to the memory of dead people.

**Except -**

**"So - back again, Harry?"**

'Dumbledore.' Said Charlus and everyone sighed in relief.

**Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore.**

**Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.**

**"I - I didn't see you, sir."**

**"Strange how near-sighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.**

**"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."**

**"I didn't know it was called that, Sir."**

**"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"**

**"It - well - it shows me my family -"**

**"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."**

**"How did you know -?"**

**"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently.**

'He knew that they were there and he let them?!' demanded Lily, sometimes Dumbledore's methods really irked her.

**"Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"**

**Harry shook his head.**

**"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"**

**Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want... whatever we want..."**

**"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them.**

**However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.**

**"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. **

'What does that mean?' asked James.

'What?' inquired Lily.

'If you ever do come across it again then you'll be prepared or whatever it was. It's almost as if Dumbledore wants Harry to come across it again and know how to use it!'

'Don't be silly James,' said Marlene. 'What could that mirror possible be used for?'

James shrugged but kept his frown.

**It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"**

**Harry stood up.**

**"Sir - Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"**

**"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."**

**"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"**

'That's quite personal.' Dorcas murmured to herself.

**"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks."**

'And that was a lie' she murmured again.

**Harry stared.**

**"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."**

**It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.**

'That's it.' Dorcas said. 'Shall we take a break?'

* * *

**Hello my dears! **

**Please don't hate me. **

**I know that it has taken me absolutly forever to upload a new chapter and I feel utterly awful for it but I've had so much going on since I last uploaded that I just haven't had time and I know that it's been months but you just must forgive me! (This chapter is really hard to do also, so much emotion had to go into it and im not sure if I did it justice still, but hey, I needed to update because everyone was worrying that I had given up.)**

**I promise that I will try and become better with my updating again because alot of people really like this story and I hate to let you guys down. Things have calmed down now so hopefully I can factor in updating my fics that had previously been put on hold. **

**Like I have said, I found this chapter really hard to do and I don't think I did too well but I hope you guys like it and please please review even if you don't! (Nothing to harsh though, okay?)**

**Much love, **

**Forevertruex**


End file.
